From Water to Ice
by XandriaZuzanna
Summary: It's hard to get by when you're plagued a murderer; Especially when you murdered your own friends. Gray Fullbuster was one of those kind of people, and whether he committed the crimes willingly or not, she knew he had to pay. But for someone to act relentlessly that way, there must have been some sort of deeper motive. - Rated T for reference to blood/death. Accidental shipping.
1. The Rain Woman

**Author's Notes:** _I'm really excited to be writing this! I hope you enjoy it too. I watch the Anime, sometimes  
><em>_in English, sometimes in Japanese. This story was actually a spin-off of another one I started to write, but_

_instead I continued to write this instead of the original, (Where Juvia goes on an S-class mission… don't_

_ask…) and I found this one to be much better._

_Warning: May include spoilers for those not very far into the series. Also, do not read if you are sensitive  
><em>_about blood and death. May include slightly disturbing or graphic images._

* * *

><p><em>Drip, drip, drop.<em>

Those were the sounds brought forth by the Rain Woman.

_Drip, drip, drop._

The woman who possessed a body made entirely of water.

_Drip, drop…_

She was once a member of the Element Four, but that was former…

_Drip…_

* * *

><p>That was the past, Juvia.<br>Past Juvia was strong. Past Juvia could make water do whatever she pleased.

But what was the end of those ways?  
><em>My deep feelings for my beloved Gray? The tears Juvia has shed for him? You're part of Fairy Tail now. A very good guild. They make you feel welcome. Beloved, even… <em>  
><em>And they were the ones that washed away the rain.<em>

It was there in the taiga, a forest, covered in snow. She knew what the most important thing for her was.  
>The sky was clear, and the sun once again shone brightly.<br>It was beautiful, and somewhat warm. She basked happily in its' beautiful rays, for a beautiful life.  
>Little did she know, that it would be last beautiful thing she may ever see?<p>

For it was only a few moments later, the cold blade struck through her heart.  
>Ceasing its' throbbing, and the pulse of blood, veins through her body.<br>It was no longer really made of water, but truly flesh and blood. The pain was unbearable.

She had never truly felt pain like this before. Or bled.  
>For how can one bleed, when your body is made of water?<p>

_Is this the end?_  
>Juvia closed her eyes.<br>She reached out in front of herself, knowing who had made the assault, yet refusing to believe it. Juvia  
>would fight back if she could, but she was unsure if she truly wanted to.<p>

Dramatic thoughts, and dramatic questions, entered her mind, ones that she normally wouldn't have to  
>think in this situation. Although, she'd never had a situation quite like this one, before.<p>

_But how…? How is this possible? I don't understand…_  
>The frigid air burned in its' coolness, the temperature decreasing by every passing second.<br>Tears began to stream down Juvia's face. Warm, and hopeful. Full of mercy… Full of light.

Those hopeful tears soon became solidified, frozen crystals, glistening upon her pale skin.  
>The last thing she saw that day were the gloomy, depressing raindrops, descending from the sky, and<br>right before hitting the ground, becoming shards of ice that were to pierce the earth.

_Was it all foolish of me? To imagine… The things we could have become…? Juvia will never _  
><em>stop loving you, Gray-sama… Never. As long as my heart is beating…<em>

The next thing to come to her, was the swift kick of his boot, bringing her to the ground,  
>pressuring her head into the snow, into the earth. Crystals of ice crept up the sides of her arms,<br>rendering them unable to cast any magic at all.

The rain poured down heavier than ever, now, making the entire area wetter.  
>His black locks of hair, hers blue, were soaking wet, dripping with rain – frozen rain.<p>

"Gray-Sama… Juvia has been betrayed..." she unreadily whispered.

Those were her last words.  
>The last strike was made. A slice across the neck. It was the sword, not made merely of metal, but of pure, solid ice.<br>Intensity… Fever… Blood.

There she lay, Juvia Lockser of Fairy Tail - freshly and eternally silenced.

_It had been done._

"I'm so sorry…" The ice-make mage turned in remorse.  
>What kind of sick man was he? The kind who would murder his own friends? To slaughter those who truly loved him?<p>

_It wasn't your choice. You had to do it._  
>The thoughts echoed in his head.<br>_Traitor. Murderer._

_I'm out of the guild, for sure._  
>Gray looked back at the blue-haired water mage, peacefully positioned on the ground.<br>He reached out to touch her face, smooth and elegant.

She's… _warm_. Gray felt his hand jerk away from the unexpectedness.  
>He thought back to the day they had met.<p>

Juvia was part of Element Four, under Phantom Lord, a dark guild. The very guild, which was also where  
>Gajeel had come from, a Dragonslayer like Natsu. When they fought each other that<br>first time, there was something different about Juvia… It was like she  
>barely was trying to even put up a fight. Like she wasn't trying to hurt him.<p>

And the truth is, she really loved him too, obsessively following him around like a puppy who'd just found the biggest bone in the world.

Gray shivered, although not from the cold. _Natsu, Lucy, Juvia… three down. _

The pendant around his neck swayed in the wind; The Silver Cross. It was the one thing he always wore, no matter the weather, no matter the occasion. Grasping it in his fist, he looked down.

_They made you do it._

He narrowed his eyes, drawing his attention back to his deceased comrade. _I'm actually pretty tired… Natsu always puts up quite a fight… maybe I should just lay down for a little while._  
>He rests his head in the snow, next to Juvia's. The cold didn't seem to bother his bare skin one bit, so it acted somewhat like a soft bed. A bed of snow, that is.<p>

_It's so strange. Being next to someone who isn't breathing, who you once thought of as a friend. And yet _  
><em>you know that you're the reason they were like that in the first place.<em>

Juvia was much easier to take down than the other two. Gray had taken her by surprise, for she believed  
>that he would never try to hurt her; and that's why she'd let her guard down. He knew she could have<br>fought back, for she had always had the strength to do so.

He stared back up at the sky. Fighting the others would definitely prove a challenge, especially Erza  
>Scarlet. He knew that she was both like Natsu, always unhesitant to fight, but also unlike him, for she<br>tends to think out her actions instead of striking relentlessly with brute force.

Erza was also an S-class mage, and even when engaging in battle, could easily defeat Gray in the blink of an eye.  
>Gray dismissed these thoughts, and eventually passed out, letting the dreamscapes of night surround him.<p>

The sky was starless that night. The taiga was quiet. Everything in time just seemed to stop within the  
>coolness and serenity.<br>Hours later, Gray woke up. The sky was about as blank and desolate as his feelings.  
>He turned to his right to look upon Juvia once again, or twice, perhaps for good measure.<p>

But the body was gone. He stared at the spot where the snow had been stained with blood – surely, it _wasn't_ just a dream.

What had he just done?

* * *

><p>Juvia stood amidst the endless hills of snow. Or at least, it looked like snow – it was too bright to tell. She wasn't sure how she got there, or what was going<br>on. But Juvia had a strange feeling. This feeling was that she couldn't feel anything; Pain, nor cold, or even the weight of her winter dress. As if she were just  
>floating on thin air.<p>

"Where is Juvia?" She called out, hoping that someone was out there somewhere. There was no response.  
>The sky grew brighter until Juvia could no longer see. The light was somewhat blinding, although she was not blind.<br>"_Where is Juvia?_" She repeated those words once again into the whiteness, slightly more demanding.

"Juvia Lockser… You have reached the end of life," a cold but disembodied voice echoed through the void.

Juvia looked down at her hands, which appeared to be slightly faded."No… Juvia can't… be… for Gray-sama…  
>Juvia must live!" She exclaimed, reaching in front of her. "Please. Juvia begs for mercy!"<p>

The voice did not consider her pleas. "I am sorry, miss Lockser. I cannot do that for you."  
>Juvia trembles. She wants to cry, very badly so, but finds herself unable.<p>

_What has Juvia done to deserve this cruel fate? _  
><em>She can't remember anything before she got here.<em>

"Juvia… you're here too?" A familiar voice calls out. "Just forget it. It's useless." He says. Into her  
>eyesight steps Natsu Dragneel, although he doesn't appear to be in good condition.<br>His red Fairy Tail emblem seems to have disappeared, or hidden, at least, for in its' place is a gash that  
>scars from his shoulder to his forearm. His clothes are worn but wispy, and scratches adorn his face and legs.<p>

He, too, appears rather faded.

Juvia stares at him in slight disbelief. "Where did you come from?" She asks.  
>"The same place you did," Natsu sighed. "I can't believe I lost to that <em>shiri<em>!" He grudgingly clenches his  
>fist. "I really don't believe in all this death stuff. But if he bothers me with is presence, I'm gonna make<br>sure he doesn't get away with this!"

"…What happened?" Juvia looks up at his dark and perilous eyes. They had a distinct shape, although  
>they were not nearly quite as dreamy as Gray's.<br>Natsu flinched with hesitation. "Wha- you don't remember?"

He adjusts his scarf and looks into the whiteness. "It's Gray. We've always tried to one-up each other in battle, but I didn't think he would actually try to _kill_ me."  
>Juvia's eyes grew wide. She didn't believe what he said. <em>Gray-sama would do that? No, he wouldn't!<em>  
>"Did… did Gray-Sama kill Juvia, too?" She nervously covered her face, and kneeled before the ground.<p>

Natsu sat down next to the blue-haired woman, and looked her way. He truly pitied her, probably more  
>than he ever pitied himself.<p>

After a moment or two of silence, Natsu replied. "I… don't know. Sorry."  
>He turned away. He kinda wished Happy or Lucy was there, too. Then they could talk to him instead of<br>this_ crazy_ lovesick water-mage.

"So… is death just like sitting in the clouds or something?" Natsu complains, "'Cause, this is getting real  
>boring. I really wanna just eat something, or fight someone, or anything adventurous at all!"<br>He frowns and stands up, punching the air in frustration, which gives him little satisfaction, enraging him  
>even more.<p>

"And what happened to that weird voice? Did it get scared or something?!" He yelled to the sky.  
>"You must wait, Mr. Dragneel." The disembodied voice echoed again.<p>

"Augh!" He yelled again. "Why do I gotta wait?"  
>Juvia looked up at Natsu. He looked upset. He probably loathed this state of life, for there was no actual life in it. Someone like him should live over her. Still,<br>Juvia could not help but feel sad for herself.

"Mysterious voice!" She called out, with a somewhat strong voice, although it was still much quieter  
>than Natsu's. "How… How was Juvia…" There was hesitation on the last word. She hated saying it. "…killed?"<br>"You were assassinated last night by a mage who wields ice." The voice told her, "But that is all that I am allowed to tell you."

_Allowed?_

"Is there something Juvia mustn't know?" Juvia asked, frightened, yet more curious than ever.  
>Natsu clenched his fist, sharply glaring at the water mage. "Can you be any more oblivious!? Gray killed<br>you! And I know he went for myself, too. I know this isn't like him, but just… shut up about all your  
>stupid fantasies, and pay attention to reality!" His tone was relentless and angry, seemingly much angrier<br>than he would ever be in his playfully ordinary manner.

But it meant complete sense for the Salamander to be mad. Gray was, and technically still would be, his  
>own comrade. They'd look out for each other, and would always have his back. Even though they would<br>quarrel, Gray could always be depended on, no matter the situation.

So what could have changed his mind?

Juvia stuttered a few words. She wasn't sure what to say against that. Gray Fullbuster was the only one  
>who could make her see the light. He carried amazing power everywhere he went, and even though<br>Juvia would stalk _watch _Gray and whatever he did, she claimed that it was always out of love, and her  
>desire for them to never part.<p>

When he engaged in battle, she cheered him on.  
>When he prevailed, she celebrated.<br>But it had never come to this.

She didn't want to believe that was true. The proof was in the pudding, yet she still denied it.

Because she loved Gray, right? And eventually, Gray would realize her feelings for him, right?  
>And then… from that point on, they'd be together forever…<p>

_Right?_

Gray'd walk up to her, bowing his head, and reaching out his strong and bold arm. "Juvia, I never hurt you," He says, holding her hand. A flash of color  
>brightens up the entire world, and he brings her close, just to kiss. "Please forgive me…" He whispers. "If you promise to come back with me, we will run<br>away from this place, and we can raise many beautiful children…"  
>Juvia strokes his shoulder and…<p>

She finds herself forcibly taken out of her own imagination,  
>by a certain someone placing his own hand on her shoulder.<p>

"Natsu…!" Juvia turns around, slightly aggravated by the startle. For a second she thought she could  
><em>really<em> hear Gray's voice, but then again, perhaps it was still just her imagination.  
>"Just leave Juvia alone!" She pouts, jerking Natsu's hand off of her shoulder.<p>

But it wasn't Natsu's hand at all – Juvia turned around  
>to see a tall, dark figure looming over her. She gave a startling response,<br>which included stumbling back and flailing her arms, but the figure didn't budge.

"Miss Lockser," It said, in the same tone that the disembodied voice had before, "Right this way."  
>A rather colorful-looking portal appeared, spinning in sparkling, with such little contrast to the current<br>environment that you could hardly see it.

"Where did Natsu-san go…?" She asked, pointing to the portal.  
>"Dragneel has gone his own way. Now you shall go yours." It explained. Simple words, but still a very<br>adequate response. Juvia nodded, reaching out for the portal. She looked back, one last time, as she  
>realized that the brightness of the area had dimmed, showing the image of the last place she'd been<br>truly alive.

Dark, shady trees surrounded an area, covered with a thick sheet of white snow.  
>In the midst of that snow, sat her beloved maker mage, with a regretful look on his face. She knew this<br>would be the last chance to see him before she left for good. "Gray-sama..." Juvia pulled away from the  
>portal and ran over to him, sitting on the ground, but when she tried to hug the mage, her arms fell right<br>through.

She brought her hands back to her chest, looking into the eyes that didn't look back. "Good-bye, Fairy Tail."  
>Juvia says, sadly, "Please don't forget Juvia..." She backed up, and looked up at the sky, noticing now<br>that it was raining even harder now.

She stared directly at him, how everything was still perfect, even in the pouring rain; from his topless chest to  
>his dark hair, and deep blue eyes that seemed to reflect the entire world into them. <em>Who'd ever guess that <em>  
><em>you would be the end of Juvia?<em> she asked herself, stifling yet another failed cry.

The outside world begins fading away as Juvia neared the portal again, colors falling away, once again  
>becoming the bright white color it has been before.<p>

As soon as she touches it, an electrifying, stinging sensation begins to flow through her, zapping her  
>energy and strength to no limit. It was somewhat like swimming in a lake that had been struck by<br>lightning, except that she was the lake and that portal was the lightning. But that's where she needed to  
>go.<p> 


	2. Myrtopia

Juvia opened her eyes, glaring at her new surroundings. She didn't know exactly where she was,  
>but the area seemed to resemble Magnolia, although it also appeared a couple hundred<br>years before it was currently.

She searched through the bustling crowds of people, for someone who might have  
>looked even vaguely familiar. She quietly walked through them, noticing she'd<br>retained her once beloved pink umbrella, and one of her _teru teru bozu._

After a while, she stopped, for before her was a figure, who  
>seemed familiar, yet she wasn't sure if they had met before.<p>

_Juvia didn't blink once._

The figure standing in front of her was indeed familiar; yes, very familiar.  
>She was a woman. A tall woman, who had intense, dark curls, framing a face – nearly<br>_perfectly _shaped like Juvia's, and, had a similar eye shape, too.

_Definitely familiar._

"Juvia," Juvia states her name, without greeting, "And you are?"  
>"My name is Jessa, Jessa Lockser." The woman grinned, twirling a lock of hair in<br>her finger. She didn't seem to be much older than Juvia should be herself, and she  
>questioned whether or not if it was who she thought it was.<p>

Juvia stared blankly at her, for a moment. "Lockser… you're… m…mother…?" She stammered.  
>Jessa looked offended. "Mother? Do I look like I have kids to you?" She retorted, turning around.<br>"Sorry!" Juvia apologized, "Juvia thought… you looked so much like me, and you share my last name…"  
>"Yeah, well, I don't think I've lived long enough to have a full-grown child. I was supposed to have one, though," She admitted.<p>

"But you're not alive." Juvia looks her straight in the eyes. "You've been dead for twenty-four years."  
>"And how would you know that?"<br>Juvia could see Jessa was already somewhat angry, upset, and mostly annoyed.

Juvia sighed. "Juvia apologizes," She says calmly, turning around.  
>"My suspicions were incorrect. Sorry to bother you." She begins to walk away, but Jessa stopped her.<br>"Wait," She called out, touching Juvia on the shoulder. "I don't know you, and I never had any children. But my sister did."

"Your sister?" Juvia looked back at her, somewhat curious. "Is she here?"  
>"I think so… I haven't seen her for a while though. Sorry- agh!" A splash came out of a<br>fountain, although the water didn't seem to have an effect on Jessa, or the area around her, she still felt it.

"Who have you dragged over here now, J?" A silvery-blond head poked out of the fountain,  
>looking over at the two.<br>"I didn't drag her here," Jessa frowned, "She came here by herself."

"Really?" The blondie squinted at Juvia, tilting her head. "I've never seen you before."  
>She jumped out of the water, revealing a shimmering blue tail – And that of a mermaid's.<br>"Who are you?" She asked Juvia, "And what are you doing in Myrtopia?"

_Myrtopia? Juvia has never even heard of a place like that._  
>"Juvia doesn't know," She said, shrugging off any more questions about it. She caught a<br>glimpse of the girl's tail, and it reminded her somewhat of one of Lucy's spirits. Except this girl didn't look like her at all.  
>"What Juvia would like to know, is who <em>you<em> are_?"_

"Answer my question first," The mermaid smirked, tossing aside her hair and looking down  
>at Juvia with cold, blue eyes.<br>"Fine," sighed Juvia, "Juvia is a Water Mage from Fairy Tail."  
>"Ah, you mean Mavis's guild. I am surprised to find your kind around here, especially since<br>Fairy Tail mages have been known to be pretty strong. I'm Aquarius," She beamed, lifting up  
>her hand and causing water to swirl around her.<p>

_Aquarius…? Lucy-san holds her key. But this can't be Lucy's spirit, they look – and act – nothing alike!_  
>"But…" Juvia began, before Aquarius cut her off.<p>

"Celestial Spirits don't live forever. Sure, we do live a hell of a lot longer than human mages do,  
>but we're not immortal." She plunged herself under the fountain for a minute, before coming back up again.<br>"Are you sure you don't want to take a dip?"

Juvia shook her head. "No. Juvia doesn't enjoy swimming much." _Because your body is made of water. Or, it was…_

What Juvia didn't understand, was why Gray had been able to strike her in the first place. Why she  
>could see her own blood, when, she wasn't even supposed to have blood. It didn't make sense.<br>And, would she have to stay in this _Myrtopia _place forever? She hoped not.

Being able to see all of her friends once again – Erza, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, Gajeel, Cana, Mirajane…  
>Gray… <em>Well,<em> _seeing everyone again would be nice, _Juvia thought to herself.

When she pictured Heaven, it didn't quite look – or feel, anything like this. She still felt _alive._  
>Things still seemed <em>normal<em>. The only thing not normal, though, were the people, and how ancient  
>everything looked. It was Magnolia, yes, but Magnolia hadn't been built like this for hundreds of years.<p>

Dusty stone buildings? Most buildings in present-day Magnolia were made with cut stone or wood,  
>but these stones definitely didn't look cut. They were river rocks, most likely, and were stacked to make the buildings here.<p>

And there were definitely more trees, and more plants, than Juvia had remembered there being.  
>"What is this 'Myrtopia' place, anyways?" Juvia asked, placing her hand on her chin.<p>

"It's like a neutral heaven," Aquarius grinned, again, making another graceful hand gesture, altering  
>the water's flow of motion. "If you've done your fair share of good and evil deeds, then that means<br>you aren't pure enough for the blessing of heaven; yet you aren't dirty enough for the depths of hell.  
>Some magic users with incredible abilities can even go to earth as an astral body, but only if they<br>desperately need to. But you never get hungry, or tired, or lonely, so I don't see why anyone would  
>want to go back to earthland in the first place!"<p>

"Makes sense." Juvia looked back again, and left without greeting. She needed to do something, and fast.  
>Obviously, she wasn't just going to stay here forever. She couldn't accept that.<br>_And if Juvia's in Myrtopia, then Natsu must be as well,_ she thought, again scanning the crowds.

She didn't have time to be conversing with people she barely knew, for there were better things to do.  
>If this was Magnolia, then the rest of the world would have to be there, too. As long as Magnolia had<br>been around, the Magic Council had been around, and likely the Royalty of Fiore, too.  
>Unfortunately, Crocus was way too far to simply just travel there, especially if there really weren't going<br>to be any answers there.

She wondered, then, if this was really how Magnolia once looked... Would Phantom Lord, her former guild,  
>still exist? It was uncertain, even, what time this was during. But she knew Phantom Lord had formed at<br>least a decade before Fairy Tail did, and it was also one of Magnolia's first active guilds. When Fairy Tail  
>banded together, she didn't think they'd grow to be so powerful. But eventually, they triumphed even the<br>strongest guilds in the country.

And, what about Jessa's sister? What if Jessa _was_ Juvia's blood-relative, but just didn't know it?  
>There was no way to tell for sure. Jessa couldn't remember the last thing that had happened in her life,<br>and Juvia had no idea who her parents were, for she had never met them.

She hadn't thought about it often, and just brushed off the subject whenever it came to mind.  
>She didn't know a lot about her Fairy Tail friends, but she did know that many of them were orphans,<br>too, so she wasn't alone. Because of all the dangers brought forth by being a mage, it wasn't too  
>common for parents to live long enough to see their children grow. But a child will always grow<br>stronger than their predecessor, and the current generation of Fairy Tail was more powerful than ever.

So then, why had she fallen before reaching even adulthood?

Juvia thought again, about how Aquarius had spoken about _spirits…  
>"Some magic users with incredible abilities can even go to earth as an astral body, but<br>only if they desperately need to."_

_There had be a way to activate that power – Otherwise, what's the point of having it?  
>Juvia has to see her friends… she must tell them… But how would you explain to them,<br>that their own comrade is immorally dangerous? It hurts Juvia more than it hurts you… trust me._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_Hey again, minna! I apologize for this chapter being half-length. Another longer one will come soon,  
>I promise. There will be some more insight on Lucy, Levy, Erza, and... Gray! Yay. So, I figured, since this<br>part is already done, I'll post it. But it is a shorter chapter. Going good so far! :D_

_Please don't forget to give feedback! I could really use it!_

**Update:** _If you're just reading this now, you may notice that this chapter was originally placed after the chapter "Looking Into Business", for that's when it was originally written - hence the author's note, which is actually about chapter 4, not chapter 3. I decided to switch them because I felt like the order of it made no sense, but now it does because this chapter leads off of chapter 1 and the next chapter leads onto chapter 4. It flows better. Thanks for not getting confused._


	3. Looking into Business

Morning had arisen. The tall, green, maple trees hovered over the grove, with leaves as big as a  
>woman's head, and branches sturdy enough to hold a man. Underneath of them lies a young woman;<br>A celestial wizard named Lucy Heartfilia. Her heart beat quickly as she slept unsettled, flinching  
>uncomfortably every now and then. Golden locks of hair entangled with the grass, a short white dress<br>flowing in the breeze. A ring of keys within a small satchel adorned her belt, all with the same golden  
>color as her hair.<p>

From an observer's perspective, she seemed just like a girl who'd gotten lost and tired in the woods,  
>and that looking at her further would only cause problems. To a non-magic user, the best way to deal<br>with a problem you didn't know how to deal with was to run from it, and hope that karma wouldn't get you back for it later.

The one thing off about the mage in distress, though, were her injuries. Blood was drawn from her lips,  
>the left eye blinded, and frostbite damage caressed her neck. The suffocation and pain of the frostbite<br>may have temporarily blocked the passage of oxygen to the brain, causing her to pass out. Not only that,  
>but her legs seemed to be in terrible shape, too, heavily wounded and physically torn.<p>

Nearby, three mages sprinted through the forest. They were a trio known as Shadow Gear. Not the most  
>befitting title, but fierce enough to intimidate anyone who got in their way. The team was led by<br>another young woman, the same age as Lucy. Her name is Levy McGarden.

Levy isn't the strongest mage, but she surely knew things. A lot of things. She's a solid script mage, who  
>uses sheer knowledge, secretly calling herself a "<em>Professional Bookworm<em>", and can read & decipher just  
>about any ancient language ever written.<p>

She's helped her guild countless times, and without her, there were some things they couldn't have done.

The woman caught up to the little glade, and leaned against a tree, wiping some sweat from her  
>forehead. Looking down towards the middle of the clearing, she had immediately recognized her friend, Lucy.<br>Levy contemplated the decision of checking to see if she was alright, but decided to hold back first. She  
>wasn't really sure how Lucy would respond, or if she would, at all.<p>

"Jet, Droy, stay back," She told the two men behind her, who nodded in unison and waited behind.  
><em>I'm glad I finally found you, <em>she said in her mind, as if she were_ actually _talking to Lucy – Although,  
>unlike Warren, she knew she had no such magic herself<em>. <em>

_But is she even alive? Like myself, Lucy isn't particularly strong physically..._  
>Levy slowly walked over to the celestial mage, kneeling when she got close enough. <em>There's so much<br>blood… It's like, that sends shivers down my spine…_

Lucy's chest slowly rose and fell. It was quite inconsistent, for sometimes there were short breaths,  
>sometimes long ones, and at times there were no breaths at all. She seemed to be struggling with it.<p>

_If only Wendy was here, things would be a lot easier…_

"Lucy… wake up…" Levy whispered softly to her, before bowing her head in respect.  
>Lucy's uninjured eye opened slightly, letting the light soak in, and disrupting her comatose.<p>

She tried to sit up, but her muscles were weak and unable. So she instead continued to lay in the grass.  
><em>What's going on? Why can't I move? Why does my head hurt so much?<em> A flurry of questions began  
>spinning through Lucy's mind, although the few words she had spoken summarized them all.<p>

"Wha… ha…ppened…?" Lucy coughed, finding it much harder to speak than it would normally be.  
>Levy turned her head to look up at the trees. "Don't worry, we'll get you back to the guild, where you<br>can be safe. But first, I should tell you what I know…"

Lucy weakly smiled up at her caring friend. She knew she could count on her, after everything Fairy Tail  
>had been through.<br>"No, it's alright," she sighed, "You… can tell… later…"

The breeze began to pick up slightly, rustling the leaves of the trees around them. "Right. I'll help you  
>walk then… Jet and Droy are waiting over there," Levy nodded, pointing to the trees behind her.<p>

"Th-thank you," Lucy said gratefully. "I… don't… would do…"  
>"Hey, it's what friends do, right?" Levy carefully extended her arm out and bracingly lifted it under<br>Lucy's back, trying her best to give support while still being gentle.

She used most of her upper body strength to help lift Lucy up – She was pretty heavy, after all, although  
>she wasn't even close to being overweight, or even chubby.<br>Her arm wrapped around Levy's shoulder, head held low and feet slightly dragging along the ground.

_Just look at me, I'm a mess. I can barely think, let alone move… But Levy doesn't mind… She'll do  
>anything to help me, even when I can't do anything. Sometimes I tell myself I should act more like she does.<br>_Lucy bears a weak smile, with the complete faith that Levy would know what to do with her.

Levy catches a drift of Lucy's slight grin, and decides to grin herself, as well. "Come on, let's get you to  
>the hospital, quickly… you really need help!" She reminded both herself and Lucy, as she quickened her<br>pace.

She had somewhat forgotten that Droy and Jet were still waiting back at the glade, but they would be  
>alright. After a while, they'd probably head back to the guild hall, anyways, so it didn't matter that much they were left behind. <em>They'll understand.<em>

Lucy tried her best to bear the pain of whatever caused her to pass out from before. She just felt so cold,  
>yet she was sure that she felt hot, too.<br>Her thoughts brought no memories, although what she could remember of the event seemed somewhat  
>fuzzy, and distant.<p>

_I was going somewhere – no, doing… a job? – I was fighting… I had to be fighting – and there  
>isn't a bone in my body that doesn't hurt like hell, but I'll be okay, I think I'll be okay…<em>

Levy approaches the Magnolia hospital, Lucy now in her arms. It took less time to get there than she'd expected, yet there was still no time to lose.

They wrap bandages where they need to be, to prevent any more bleeding.

She hurriedly lays Lucy onto one of the beds, letting her rest so that she could catch her breath. Lucy  
>closes her eyes, and breathes slowly. Even though she hadn't been moving herself, Lucy had still found it<br>more difficult with the wind that Levy created while sprinting. It wasn't making things worse, but it certainly hadn't made it better.

Eventually, Lucy fell asleep, finally looking somewhat peaceful, but the expression on her face was  
>worrying, and painful. It would take time to recover from whatever had gotten her hurt in the first place.<p>

_It was once, nearly eight years ago, when I had come into this state… She had watched  
>over me, and now I'm doing the same for her. It really doesn't feel like eight years, though.<em>

Levy looked up, at the bright, blazing window showing a nice view of Magnolia below.  
>A slight grin slips across her face, and the feeling crosses her mind that eventually this<br>could be quite the laughable matter, in the grand equation of things. _Fairy Tail is always getting into trouble, aren't we?_

"I really hope you'll be okay…" She muttered aloud, still keeping a close eye on Lucy.  
>Looking back up at the window, Levy draws the curtains, closing them again. A dusky shadow fills the room with silent darkness.<p>

She sighs, getting up to leave. There were, indeed, better things she had to do, and Lucy needs her rest.

* * *

><p>Levy left the Magnolia Hospital with something on her mind.<br>If she thought about it, it was easy to piece together what had happened with her. But at the same time,  
>nothing made any sense at all.<p>

_Frostbite… The only Ice wizards I know of are Gray, and Leon… Unless there are more… hm…  
><em>The more she thought, the less things did make sense. Come to think of it, she still _hadn't _seen either Natsu  
>or Juvia, which was strange. If Lucy was back by now, they'd have to be back, too.<p>

The other day, Lucy, Erza, Natsu, Gray and Juvia all went on some sort of job. _Did it turn out to be harder than  
>they thought it would be? <em>And Gray was the only one to return – so far, at least. When he'd arrived at the guild  
>hall, people were asking about his comrades, but he refused to say even a word, and silently returned to his home, where he could be alone.<p>

_Why didn't he tell us what happened?_ _I went on a search, because I needed to know exactly what  
>was going on… I just don't get…<em>

Levy was in the middle of her thoughts, of course, when she bumped into _someone._ "Gh…a… Gajeel-kun!"  
>She exclaims, backing up to look at the tall Iron Dragonslayer. She smiles, and for a second, he smiles a bit too, before turning to the side.<br>"What do you want, shrimp?" He asks. Still the same obnoxiousness as ever.  
>But it was so… <em>cute… I mean, annoying…<em>

Levy knew that Gajeel wasn't the _nicest,_ but yet, there was still something about him,  
>something that she <em>liked.<em> She crossed her arms, also turning her back. "Nothing," She  
>mutters, although before walking away again, glances at him, but only to notice that he was glancing back at her, as well.<p>

Tension began to build in her eyes, so Levy decided that she _should _walk away, before she felt  
>anything… else. She knew someone already had their eye on her – Jet, and Droy. And sure, they were<br>nicer to her than Gajeel would ever be. But there was that lust… That crazy, _desirable _lust of Gajeel that  
>they just didn't have.<p>

Maybe it was that he had to be at least a foot taller than her – Gajeel was above average height,  
>and Levy was below. Or maybe it was that, underneath that terrifying grimace, he still cared for<br>her well-being, despite the _more than_ unfriendly greeting she'd received the first time they met. It's never really to be sure.

_It's kind of like… one of those cheesy romance novels… _Levy chuckles to herself. Her life was,  
>indeed, sometimes much like the fictional books she so loved to read. <em>I wonder, if I gave one to him, how he'd react…<em>

She took another step more, but then the thought occurred to her, that she should ask Gajeel about  
>the others. She turns around to stop Gajeel from walking away, as well.<br>"Oh, uh, I was going to ask…" Levy began, "Have you seen Natsu and the others?" She looked up at him,  
>and he clapped his fist into his other palm, being quite clear what his motive was.<br>"Nah… I was gonna ask you the same thing," He chuckled. Levy sighs in disappointment. "Right."

"But I think I saw Erza somewhere around."  
>She looked back up. <em>Of course Erza would be fine,<em> she thought. "Oh, did you? Well, I, um, have to go,  
>okay?" Levy says, positively, and gives a rather sympathetic grin before running off again. If anyone<br>knew what was going on, it had to be Erza. She just _had _to know.

After Levy took off, Gajeel looked around, slightly confused. "Gh…" he flinches. _I'll never understand girls._

He ran his hand through his thick, spiky black hair, turning around to go back his own way.  
>The sun was still fairly low in the sky, but still pretty high considering the time, and how early in the year it was.<p>

March 8th, the one day in the year when Fiore seemed to hang directly under the sun when the clock hit noon.  
>Every fifty years or so, this day would also harness an eclipse, a rare sight for any planet with less than a<br>handful of moons. It happened on this day, in particular, for the patterns of the gravitational pull were always  
>the same, <em>except <em>for March 8th, and its' mirror, September 8th.

This day was somewhat special, known as _The Day of the High Sun._ It used to be a respected holiday,  
>although eventually adolescents began mentioning that the sun had been drugged, and became literally<br>_high_, and from then on, it was often thought of a very comical day.

"Gihii," Gajeel laughed to himself, in his own odd little way. He was one of the kids who originally made the joke, and it still never really got old.

One would expect a day like this to be warm, although, as the spring equinox hasn't arrived yet, there was  
>still snow in Magnolia. Winter would come to an end in just a few weeks.<p>

Gajeel wasn't a big fan of winter, mainly because it was always too cold outside, but he didn't really  
><em>mind<em> the other seasons. The Iron Dragonslayer didn't have much to do at the moment, but he didn't  
>particularly care. <em>Let's just count today as an off-day, <em>he assured himself, believing that nothing else could go wrong.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> 'ello again! I've been working a lot on this fiction lately, trying to keep the minimum of each chapter between 2-3k... I hope it wasn't bad, because honestly, I'm not planning this plot, I'm just making things up as I go. Nextchapter should have more Juvia in it, and more explanations. Enjoy! And, pretty, _pretty_ please, don't forget to review! :D


	4. When Swords Clash

"Natsu!" She cried, sitting up in bed. Lucy looked around consciously, suddenly feeling a  
>sharp pain in her head. "Nats… wait… what…?"<p>

Ignoring her migraine, Lucy gets out of bed and slips on her outfit. Her hand  
>reaches up towards her left eye; and feeling there especially seemed to hurt. There were bandages around it.<p>

"Must have been a dream…" She shakes her head and takes a step, before immediately  
>feeling weak and tired again, falling back onto the bed.<p>

"Okay, then…! Not yet…!" Lucy looks up at the ceiling, before closing her eyes again.  
>"I guess I should sleep a little bit more, huh?"<p>

Even though nobody was listening, and she knew, Lucy had no problem speaking  
>aloud as if they were. It just gave her more insurance that she was safe. She then<br>remembered why she was there in the first place.

_Well, my throat is definitely feeling better, if not just a bit scratchy. I can  
>almost see everything clearly… but, clearly, I just need more sleep… I just<br>can't help but feel, though, that Natsu is…_

She shook the thoughts out of her head, knowing that he would be fine, no  
>matter what he did. She admitted to herself that she was more than just fond<br>of him. In fact, if he wasn't so loud and obnoxious, he'd be a great boyfriend. Even Mirajane thinks so.

But part of her still thinks that they're better off being friends. Part of her believed  
>that Natsu would never want to get romantically involved with her, anyways. He just wasn't a <em>romantic<em> person.

Lucy tries to calm her senses again, laying down, breathing slowly. Her neck still  
>stung, somewhat, as did her legs. She probably wouldn't be able to run for a<br>while, but at least she was still alive, alive and well. She wasn't sure how late  
>it was, but the sky was beginning to darken, ever so slightly.<p>

But whoever did this – whoever must have defeated her like that – she knew  
>they had to pay for it. They just <em>had <em>to.

* * *

><p>Erza's bronze eyes carefully scanned the horizon.<br>The waterfront tends to be a very peaceful place, especially at this hour, the twilight hour.  
>She sighed, skipping a rock over the surface of the water.<p>

Most Fairy Tail members didn't have a lot to do at this time of year. Many of them, like  
>Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna, all temporarily went home to their families. And Natsu,<br>Gray, Lucy, and Juvia had gone on a quest – _without _her.

It bothered her, somewhat, but yet she still didn't care that much. It's good, for them,  
>to be able to get some experience without using their OP weapon, Erza. She didn't think<br>of herself as greatly as others did, but she couldn't tell people that. It would ruin the  
>portrayal she held; strong, brave, loyal, and responsible.<p>

The tension in her face and her entire body eased when she went out that night. For not  
>only had she found, that, it was much easier for her to be alone, but also, things always<br>seemed easier when she doesn't feel like somebody's watching her.

She had been going out a lot more often, recently, than usual.  
><em>Is this a habit? Are my actions out of pity for myself?<em> Erza asks herself, _I wouldn't know._

_There is always something on your mind. Someone on your mind. You know that, and you  
>can feel it. This feeling, the feeling you don't know, will always linger there, until you find out what it is.<em>  
>She leans against the rails of the pier, polished but dirty, old yet steady, and ever so slowly<br>wearing away until the only thing left of them is dirt and decay.

Just like the weak, everything eventually degrades down into nothingness, one way or another.  
>A king falls. A flower wilts. A person dies.<p>

It's the things like that, where Erza realizes how small she really is in the world.  
>She's not that important, right? One little person, out of billions and billions of humankind,<br>magic-using and non-magic-using people, animals, and plants. Thousands of rivers,  
>mountains, and forests, landscaping their very planet, and those who destroy it, with buildings, farms, and means of transportation.<p>

_People such as yourself aren't that important to the world. You save a few  
>lives, cry a few tears, but what does that mean?<em>

Erza leans over just a slightly bit more, taking to more deep thinking. She's not  
>going to tell people she feels this depressed, because, life is too short to not be<br>taken seriously. Contemplating life's mysteries, why people do things, and why things happen.

Perhaps it's merely fate, a decision, impending from those who watch over  
>them? Or is it more than that?<p>

_All this thinking is going to bite you later on._  
>She closes her eyes, letting her mind slowly blank, focusing on the very<br>essence of nature itself, becoming peacefully sincere to…

_Bump._

A finger taps Erza on the shoulder, and she stumbles forward, clumsily flailing  
>her arms, but catching herself before she fell anymore and embarrassed herself.<br>She turns around, giving a stern look. "You…!" She begins, before realizing who it was, and softening up a little.

"Excuse me, Levy." Erza looks down at the solid script mage, glad to see her again,  
>but tenses slightly when she caught a glance of her worried expression.<p>

"Good to see you, Erza-san," Levy nods quickly, then decides to cut right to the  
>chase. "What happened when you guys went on that job?"<br>"Job?" Erza lingers more a moment. "Oh yes, that. I didn't go on that job, they decided  
>to go on one without me. Why are you asking about it?"<p>

She sighs. "Oh… well… This morning, Gray came back to the guild hall by himself," She  
>looks away for a second, "And he was acting really… strange. He didn't say anything to anyone."<p>

"That is odd," Erza agreed. "If I see him, I'm sure I can talk to him…" She turns, glancing  
>back out over the water, the sun still hovering a good couple of hours above its' horizon.<br>Levy continues standing awkwardly behind her, now looking at whatever Erza was looking at.

_She seems really calm here. She isn't even wearing her armor, _Levy notes to herself, _but I  
>could have sworn she was walking out of the guild hall with Lucy's team when they<br>grabbed the request. I was there._

"Well, I'll stay here until you decide to talk to him. I want to see what's going on myself."  
>"Are you sure about that?" Erza asks, "I guess there's no reason for me to stay out here, then."<br>In a flash of magic, she requips into her ordinary armor, shining steel plates adorning her  
>arms and chest - specifically designed to complement her Heart Kreuz clothing<br>underneath, a thin, brown belt securing them.

"I wonder where he is right about now," She whispers, beginning to walk  
>in the opposite direction of the ocean, Levy directly following. "Probably<br>still at the Guild Hall, right?" She shrugs, careful to make double-steps to keep up with the requipper.

"Aye, he should be." Erza glances back for a second, stepping off of the  
>wooden pier and onto the stone-paved street. She sighs, hardly speaking<br>much on the way back. It seemed as if she were either tired, or as if there  
>was something on her mind, although there was no telling what that may be.<p>

Not a lot of people paid attention to the two mages, for there was no reason to.  
>It didn't take them long to reach the guild hall, of course, being so close to the edge of the city.<br>Levy stumbled up next to her, the heavy wooden doors swinging open.

"Where's Gray? I need to speak to him." Erza looked around, the hall was  
>nearly empty, except for the few who don't normally go anywhere. A mixed<br>reaction of excitement, boredom, confusion and fear filled the room.  
>"Well, I didn't see him leave," Cana Alberona replied, looking up from her<br>tankard. "So he's probably around here somewhere."  
>Erza nodded. "Thank you."<p>

She headed up to the second level of the guild's quarters. _I'm somewhat  
>interested in what happened during Gray's job. If what Levy says is true,<br>and he's the only one to return from it, then what does that mean? Hmm._

Levy walked back over to Cana, instead of following Erza upstairs, drinking  
>up a storm of what she normally would.<br>"Hey Cana-san," She smiled, "Mind if I take a seat?"

"Sure, I don't mind," The brunette grinned, as she leaned back her chair. "…You want a drink?"  
>"No, thank you…" Levy hesitantly replied, shaking her head. Sure, Cana could fill her<br>cup 500 times without getting drunk, but even just a little shot of that damned stuff gave Levy headaches.

It did make her feel funny, though, like the good kind of funny. But being the  
>alcoholic she is, Cana would have definitely brushed off that feeling by now.<p>

The solid script mage found it strange that Cana constantly needed drink.  
><em>We've known each other since we were kids. And ever since she got her<br>lips on that stuff, she's always been real level-headed. But isn't that the  
>opposite of what booze is supposed to do?<em>

Erza made it to the top of the second level. She walked out towards  
>the balcony, where a certain dark-haired <em>someone<em> waited silently.  
>"Gray," She said sternly, taking another step closer to him.<br>"I ain't afraid of you," Gray spat bitterly, turning only his head. The look  
>on his face said he was attempting to intimidate, although his navy eyes<br>spoke differently. Of course, he wasn't wearing his shirt, either, but that was expected.

"I don't care. I need answers from you, one way or another." Erza continued  
>walking in Gray's direction, before he turned around abruptly, creating a fighting stance and directly attacking her.<br>"Ice make: Lance!" He shouts, and Erza requips – "Flight armor!" – And leaps out of the way.

Gray narrows his eyes, releasing his position and watching Erza parallel from himself.

_Something about his magic seems different. Why attack openly, here? _  
>She tenses up as well. "Of course. There's the part you're not telling me."<p>

"Yeah, well, you don't need to know!"  
>"I do, when it concerns the well-being of my friends. What did you do on that job?!"<br>Erza leapt forward, this time, no longer restraining herself. She took a hit at Gray,  
>and to her surprise, he effortlessly dodged the blow.<p>

"Heaven's Wheel!" Erza requipped again, into her full, gloried armor. "You don't  
>know what you're doing. Stop this at once."<br>"Why should I? I don't take orders from you, Erza. Ice-make: Hammer!" He again  
>attacks, actually hitting Erza this time, setting her back a bit.<p>

_Something is definitely different about Gray's magic. It feels different._

"What do you think you could possibly get out of this?" She asks him, now  
>concerned for what he intended to do.<br>"Why don't you ask me that when you're dead?" Gray nods, ready to make  
>yet another move. Erza was still reluctant to fight. She didn't want to hurt him,<br>and it didn't matter whether or not he was purposefully attacking her or not.

"You'd go that far? To kill your own comrade?" Swords pointing in all directions,  
>Erza tilts her chin up slightly. Gray's dastardly grin soaks deep within the pressure<br>of his emotions, and his muscles showed no mercy, although inside his heart was  
>still beating, beating quickly without any subdue.<p>

He sprouts from the floor a wall of ice, ascending at least 50 feet. Erza's swords pierce  
>through it, causing it to instantly disintegrate. "I guess I would," Gray retorted, bringing<br>his hand up to his face. Upon his right index finger was a strange-looking ring with a black  
>gem, unlike the kinds that Erza had seen him wear before.<br>"In fact, I already have. Natsu, Lucy, and… oh, Juvia. They're all sitting upon the grave, this very  
>minute. I killed them, because of everything they've done to me."<p>

Erza flinched, narrowing her eyes. "What…? Gray, that's not possi... that isn't like you."  
>Her gaze snapped back to his ring. Did that have something to do with his behavior?<br>She couldn't believe that. Part of her believed he was lying. There was no way he'd be  
>able to take them all down alone, even though she knew he was powerful, they were equally so.<p>

Another part of her was angry. Treating people's lives like that? They were her friends.  
>His friends. As long as they'd known each other. They'd give their heart and soul for each other,<br>and every move they made was towards their future.

Erza couldn't kill Gray; after everything they'd been through, she couldn't bring herself to _kill _him,  
>or any human being, no matter what they did.<br>But there was one thing that she could do.

She sheathed any weapons that might have still had out, and switched out her armor.  
>She took a brave step forward, in less than two feet in measure to the ice-make mage.<br>Glaring directly into his diluted eyes, Erza pulled her arm back, then vigorously thrust  
>it forward, exulting the necessary strength into her fist – which met directly with his face.<p>

It was enough to knock him out, but not enough to do any major damage. She knelt  
>down beside Gray, picking up his right hand and holding it in front of her. Erza looked<br>closely at the ring, and reached her other hand forward to take it off.

The moment she touched the ring, a feeling of rage suddenly overcame her  
>senses. Her eyes met Gray with utter hate and disgust, the hate flowing<br>through her veins… She wanted to end him right then and there, with no hesitation.

Erza let go of his hand, and stared at the ring. "…The _hell_?" she muttered silently,  
>still looking at the ring, confused. It seemed that there were a couple of ancient<br>letters transcribed into the pitch-black gem focused on the center, but she couldn't tell what it said.

_There's definitely some kind of magic or enchantment on that ring. There has to be.  
>Levy would know what it means, for sure. All I know is that it made me feel… strange.<br>He says Lucy is dead. But I know she isn't, Levy knows she's alive. But what about Natsu…?  
><em>_He's not going to be around anymore? She'd be devastated… He's done a lot of great things…  
><em>_and a share of destructive things, granted. But nevertheless, we'll have to have a funeral. And  
><em>_Juvia, as well. I don't know her as well as I do Natsu, but she was just so lively. She also had a crush on Gray, didn't she?_

Erza thought about Natsu's past with her. No matter whether she broke down,  
>or prevailed, he'd be right by her side, always eager to fight any opponent that<br>came his way. He's also a reckless idiot. But that didn't stop him from being an amazing and trustworthy friend.

Her left eye began to water at the thought of this, but she wasn't going to let herself cry. _  
>Crying isn't going to help this situation.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_OH MY GOsh that was so much fun to write… I am surprised I got this done so quickly, especially after just updating the other day. And yes,  
>the magic the rings holds is a reference to something else *cough cough* and we might see more of that, still. I was going to drag this out a bit<br>more, but then I thought, "well no, this chapter has been going on long enough, I can continue it next chapter" sooo yeah I'll try and update in a  
>week or however long it takes me to write, heheh. Please give me your supportive feedback and criticism! It helps a lot! Thank you!<em>


	5. Enchanting

_Crying isn't going to help this situation._

_Crying is the equality to emotional blackmail; its purpose is to deceive others into feeling sorry for you._

Erza looked down at her hands. His sharp words played continuously in her mind. She still didn't  
>understand why he was acting the way he did, but her suspicions were that it had to do with this strange<br>ring. She knew what it was when she'd felt it – But couldn't remember the kind of magic it held. A lost  
>magic, most likely.<p>

If there was some way to get it off of Gray's finger, then they'd best remove it before he woke up again.

By this time, Levy came back up to the second level. Catching sight of Erza, she sprinted before her.  
>"Erza-san! I thought you were going to wait for me!"<p>

Erza looked up at the solid script mage with a blank expression. "I was going to, but I didn't really have a  
>choice."<p>

It was by now that Levy realized that Gray'd been knocked out, and she stared at him, trying to piece  
>together what Erza had done. She immediately spotted the ring, getting closer to get a better look.<br>"What's this?" Levy asked.

"Not sure," Erza shrugged, "I was hoping you'd know."

Levy looked again at the strange ring, with intricate gold and silver designs crisscrossing a band which  
>held the emerald-cut stone in the center. The stone had been deeply scratched with a few symbols of<br>ancient writing. They looked similar to the patterns of enchantment magic symbols that Freed worked  
>with, although they had a different style to them.<p>

She swiftly removed the ring, while aware of the emotions it inflicted, she had to forcefully dismiss them  
>in order to do so. Levy didn't put the ring down, but showed it to Erza.<br>"These symbols are object enchantments," She began to explain, "And this ring contains a kind of magic  
>called compulsion, which takes the negative emotions of someone and magnifies it. I'd need to find a<br>little bit more about this before I can say anything more detailed than that…" She leads.

Erza nods. "This thing is dangerous. We should get rid of it. Even better, destroy it." She suggested,  
>before standing back up again. Levy stood up as well.<p>

"We can just get Gajeel to destroy it. Or… Natsu could, too, if we find him," Levy had a healthy grin on  
>her face. She always wanted to brush things lighter than they were, even when she didn't need to. Erza<br>sighs, for she knows what Gray'd said – That he murdered Natsu, Juvia, and Lucy. She wasn't even sure if  
>it was right to tell Levy that now, it would deprive her.<p>

The night slowly descended onto them, the sky clear and filled with stars. Stars always reminded Erza of  
>Jellal, and his heavenly body magic, which often used astral objects as offense. She knew she'd forgiven<br>him, but whether or not she'd forgive Gray so easily, she couldn't really say. The one thing she knew is,  
>even without the compulsion, she could feel deep in her heart a burning anger for him. One she could<br>control, yet it was still there, lingering behind her conscience.

Levy looked at Erza strangely for a moment. She knew that Erza had been thinking a lot more, since  
>perhaps a few weeks ago, but it didn't worry her until now. "Is there something wrong, Erza-san?"<br>"Ch… no… there's nothing wrong." Erza lied. She was pretty good at lying, at times, so Levy didn't see  
>through her.<p>

"A…alright... Just making sure!" Levy opened her hand, taking a look at the enchanted ring. She'd never  
>seen it before, yet it seemed so… familiar. Like she knew the person who'd made it, crafted their very<br>soul into making things like these. But something didn't quite match up, like she just couldn't put her  
>finger on it.<br>"Oh, I forgot to tell you," She sighed, catching Erza's peak of interest. "Gray was the only one who  
>officially came back, but yesterday I… also found Lucy… she was in the forest and…" Levy began<br>stuttering.

Erza's eyes flickered. _So, she's seen it for herself? He wasn't lying then…_  
>"I…" She began, before the solid script mage cut her off.<p>

"Well… she was all battered up, and could barely breathe. So I took her back to Magnolia Hospital. I  
>hope she'll be okay."<p>

The scarlet-haired woman looked away from her comrade, out towards the edge of the second level's  
>balcony. The night was beginning to ascend, already. <em>Lucy's alive? Good. But what about Juvia, and what<br>about Natsu? They better be alright._

"I think we should go and get rest. It's been a long day."  
>Levy nodded. "Okay," she whispered, leading Erza and herself back down to the first level. Everyone<br>who was in the guild beforehand had already returned to their dorms, or their homes, save for the guild  
>master, Makarov.<p>

Erza spotted him as she left, and pondered on whether or not she should say something to him. The  
>Master looked deep into thought, as it was late, so she decided otherwise.<br>Both of the girls returned to Fairy Hills around 10PM. They quietly walked back to their dormitories,  
>trying not to wake the other girls sleeping in theirs. When they walked past Juvia's room, Erza sighed,<br>knowing she wouldn't be in it.

Eventually they passed Levy's room, who quickly passed out on her bed (which, of course, was still  
>covered in books,) the moment she closed the door, and Erza soon reached her room as well.<br>She calmly walked over to her bed, laying down atop the plush covers and looking directly up at the  
>ceiling, clear, white and peaceful. Unlike her thoughts.<p>

_Something has to be done, and fast. An enemy's out there right now, and they're slipping under the  
>edge, trying to undermine us… But it has to be for a reason. Is it some sort of ulterior motive? And I can't<br>forget about Gray. His actions will have consequences, too. _

The requip mage didn't quite feel like sleeping. She couldn't sleep, not with all this on her mind. Even  
>though her eyes were tired and her body was tired, Erza was alone and awake in her dormitory, thinking<br>about everything that happened that evening. A little bit of a lot happened in just that flash of time, and  
>just that seemed like it was more overwhelming than it really needed to be.<p>

_If Levy says Lucy is alive, does that mean Gray really was lying, though? But why would he need to lie  
>about something as terrible as this?<em>

Erza closed her eyes. She felt tired enough, even though her thoughts were raging. _You're thinking way  
>too hard about this,<em> she told herself. _Just remember to hold your head high and make your way through  
>it, just like you always do…<em>

She glanced to the window, half of it covered with a thin, sheer curtain. Through it she could see that  
>the night was gleaming with stars, each of them twinkling with their own courage, their own spirit – as if<br>each and every star had their own destiny. Just like humans, who all take their time and turn their lives  
>into something special, carving out their destiny as they go along.<p>

There was no point in going underneath the covers now; for Erza was nearly asleep already and the bed  
>had been finely made. It was never really pinpointed when she actually made her blank for the night, as<br>that sort of thing is hard to tell.

* * *

><p>When Erza awoke, she felt somewhat different. The good kind of different. The feeling didn't change her<br>attitude much, but it was enough for her to realize that she had felt better than the day before. Ready to  
>fight, and to change the world, much like she normally would have wanted to.<br>On the inside, there was still a doubt, and there was no avoiding that. But the fresh scent of pineapple  
>lingering distantly brought Erza to a quick start of her day.<p>

_Pineapple._ Every morning Erza awoke to the delightful smell of _Pineapple._ It was strange, not in a bad  
>way, and she'd gotten used to it by now. She didn't know what it was for, not to mention where it came<br>from, but it always put a smile on her face.

She leaped out of her bed, requipping into morning clothes. Requipping is much less of a hassle than  
>simply changing your clothes – Erza had done it a few times, but there was really no need to do it that<br>way.

_Dead or not, we have to find Natsu. It's the only way to be sure, _she noted, _if we really do have a threat  
>on our hands. It doesn't matter if it's his ally or not, he definitely would have put up a good enough fight<br>to at least keep himself on the brim._

Erza stretched and left her room, without doing much more. There was no need for her to stay inside.  
>The hallways were pretty empty, but that was expected – girls like sleeping in. <em>It's still early in the day.<br>Levy mentioned that she took Lucy to the hospital – so I should see her. She went on the job, and she  
>should know what the request was, at the least.<em>

On the way out of Fairy Hills, she also passed Levy's room, who had still been asleep. Erza didn't wake  
>her. Erza's eyes glistened as she opened the front doors, but was disappointed to find that the gentle<br>morning sunshine had been hindered with dark clouds.

There had not been predictions of storms or precipitation, so what did it mean?  
>Erza wasn't going to worry about it, but that didn't mean she didn't want to know.<p>

Luckily, Magnolia Hospital's not far from Fairy Hills. Which meant that it would be easy for her to see  
>Lucy – both to see what she knew, and if she was alright. Knowing Lucy, if she'd been surprise-attacked<br>by an ally, she'd hesitate to counterattack. And by the time she would have, it'd be too late.

It had to be strength – or, rather, sheer luck – to support the fact she was still breathing.

Lucy sat up on the patient bed, cringing at the pain that still lingered. She wondered why they didn't just  
>send Wendy over, but then again, nobody had seen Wendy for at least a month. It didn't seem strange<br>to Lucy, until she thought about it. _What would that girl be doing that would take her that long?_

She shook her head, not trying to think about it too much. Thinking too hard might only cause more  
>pain. With not a lot to do, Lucy studied the bed sheet patterns with her right eye. She couldn't see out of<br>the other one, because it'd been patched up. Hopefully she would be able to see out of it after the patch  
>could be removed, but she doubted that.<p>

Somebody rapped on the door. _Knock, knock. _

"What? Who is there?" Lucy asked the door, to which was no reply. She sighed, leaning back slightly.  
>"Never mind, just come in…" She watched the door slowly open, to see her scarlet-haired friend<br>standing directly in the doorway.

"Erza! What are you-"  
>Erza cut in, placing her hand on Lucy's shoulder, leaning over to look her directly in the eye. "You look terrible,"<br>She held a stone face as Lucy stared back at her, seemingly confused.

"I… yeah…" The blonde looked away. She didn't want to talk about it, but Erza would convince her to spill anyways.

Their hold remained intense, and Erza did not look away. "What kind of job did you go on?"

Lucy looked up. "It was a quest to find a certain artifact for someone, I think. Like, a special piece of  
>jewelry, or something. The guy who was looking for it was paying five million jewel for us to get it for<br>him. At first, I thought he was crazy, but… now, I'm not so sure."

_Is she talking about the ring? _Erza wondered. It was likely.

"The last thing I remember is fighting someone, before I ended up here. I know something happened,  
>but everything in my mind is all… It's all a blur." Lucy closed her eyes, and Erza nodded.<br>"Gray was the one who attacked you. In fact, he could have killed you. The artifact you were asked to  
>retrieve contains dark magic than can persuade someone's feelings," She said, "And as long as that<br>magic possesses him, there's nothing you'll be able to do to stop him – and that automatically makes  
>him our enemy."<p>

Lucy's eyes widened at her statement. She looked at her, somewhat angrily. "Erza, what are you  
>saying!? Gray is our comrade – no, he's our friend. I can't just fight him! We have to do <em>something<em> to break  
>him away from that magic!"<p>

Erza lifted her hand from Lucy's shoulder, pulling away and standing up next to her. In a way, Lucy was  
>right – But Gray's feelings were only being manipulated, and if that was the case, what were his true<br>intentions?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong>_ Yay! A new chapter! I wanna both apologize for the wait, and thank all of you so far who  
>have followed along and reviewed this story. It's been a lot of help, and encourages me to continue<br>writing! I have more ideas that will both open up new gateways for where this story is going and…_

_Woah, what? Pineapple? Yeah… Okay, so I got stuck, and I was like… what should I write next…? AND  
>THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I AM OVERWHELMED BY THE SMELL OF PINEAPPLE! HELL YEAH! THANK YOU<br>PINEAPPLE, SAVIOUR OF WRITERS BLOCK. THANKS._

_Okay, aside from that – This story has just made a record for the longest story I've ever written, so far! I  
>mean seriously, 11,000 words? That's more than twice as many words as anything I've written before!<br>I'm kinda proud of this achievement, and hopefully I'll be able to carry out this story to be… well… long  
>enough.<em>

_Lastly, I have gotten another idea for a one-shot story, so keep an eye out for them soon!_


	6. Sharp Rose

The gloomy rainclouds that had formed not long before dawn began to precipitate.

_Drip, Drip, drop. This rain is so depressing._ Gray thought to himself, taking a walk in the early hours. He  
>could tell that people were looking at him strangely – Had the word spread already? The water caught in<br>his hair made it appear to be an even darker tone than it already was.  
>He had woken up that morning on the stone of Fairy Tail's balcony, after Erza decided to punch him in<br>the face. He'd forgotten nothing, and regretted everything.

Gray looked at his hand to see that the magical ring he'd acquired had disappeared. Or, for the worse,  
>taken into the hands of someone else. <em>I took the lives… of my own friends… what kind of power would<br>force me to do that? _He wondered. He covered his face in his hands to hide his salted eyes.

_Natsu. I should have said something to him._  
>Gray didn't want to think about the things that he did, or the things that would happen to him. What<br>would happen if the Guild Master found out? Or worse, the Magic Council? Would they even care?

The slower he walked, the more awkward he felt. Like people would just be _looking _at him, and the guilt  
>he carried. Gray's face was soaked in tears, but they fit right in with the raindrops. One wouldn't even<br>be able to tell, given the constant pouring rain – _drip, drip, drop._

He wondered, if, he might get the chance to speak to them again. Being mages, certain death was  
>always evitable, especially with Fairy Tail wizards. He knew, however, if he did get to see his friends,<br>which he'd supposedly sent to their death beds, they wouldn't be very happy.

Most importantly, Gray wanted to know who was behind the magic that'd possessed his thoughts. Or  
>what. He didn't get a good look at the artifact, even though he was the one who'd put it on in the first<br>place.

The rain didn't quit. It had been going on for two hours, just straight, hard, pouring rain. Some people  
>went inside, but Gray stayed outside – He should at least honor his friend's magical passion, which was<br>water. _Juvia of the Deep, was a nickname, and The Rain Woman was what we'd heard of her before she  
>joined Fairy Tail. Damn, that was a long time ago... Or at least it feels that way.<em>

He took a deep breath, and a corner, finding himself in an alleyway, shady and obscure. At least it was  
>covered from the rain, right? But he didn't walk much further before running into a small group of<br>mages centered in the alley.

The mages were obviously from a guild, for they all shared the same symbol – somewhat resembling a  
>flower with thorns. <em>Not just any guild, a dark guild, <em>Gray reminded himself. His eyes grew intense,  
>noticing the smirk across the mages' faces. There were three in all, one man and two girls.<br>"Gray Fullbuster…" One of the girls, with light, wavy hair and red eyes chimed, and the guy next to her –  
>with dark green hair and slender eyes, "…We've heard about you," finished what she'd begun.<p>

"So what?" The ice mage scoffed, "You guys aren't taking anything from me."

The other girl stood, with pinkish-red hair, which, kind of reminded Gray of Sherry from Lamia Scale, but  
>her bangs also covered her eyes. "I don't think that statement is true, is it, Sebby?" She turned to the<br>emerald-haired man, "We need you to join our guild, Gray," The girl said, in a falsely sweet tone.  
>'Sebby', as he had been called, nodded.<p>

Gray's eyes dilated, and he took a stance to cast an ice spell, in his defense. "Look, there's no way in hell  
>I'd ever let that happen! I'd rather die before I leave Fairy Tail!" He exclaimed, frozen magical energy<br>practically flaming in his hands.

"Oh really?" Sebby chuckled, "Well, then I guess we're going to have to make you. Bri, Chai, do your  
>thing!~" He crossed his arms to see's Gray's reaction, which was naturally, to let his self-esteem take<br>over the situation.

The light-haired girl, Chai, shared a glance with the other, Bri, and they both nodded, as if their thinking  
>was synchronized.<p>

"Ice ma-" Gray began, but had been cut off by the muffling of Bri's womanly palms. Chai quickly sprinted  
>to action and grabbed Gray's wrists, prying them apart from his stance.<br>Never before had Gray had trouble fighting girls, especially physically. But these girls were strong, and  
>almost insanely so.<p>

The women basically strangled Gray, while Sebby laughed to himself. "Look at me, you bastard. You're  
>going to join us whether you'd like to or not!"<br>Gray was surprised, and angry, but he needed to keep his cool. It was something he always did, to  
>enhance his chances of success. In this case, he decided it was the best way to go, and that he shouldn't<br>get emotionally caught up on his mistakes.

His eyes stayed in contact with Sebby's. Although he could feel the tight grip on his arms, and the  
>choking embrace over his face, Gray thought of one thing he could do at this point. Without wasting<br>another second, he shrugged back his shoulders, causing his coat to fall to the ground.

At that point, Gray was willing to offer less resistance. He always felt more eased when he stripped, at  
>least to his chest. He'd still object to joining a <em>dark guild<em>, where he'd have to continue to do things that  
>hurt people, and betray his friends.<p>

The three mages from the dark guild, which he knew as _Sharp Rose, _had dragged him back with them to  
>their guild hall. The trip was quite tedious, really, for most of their conversation involved Sebby bragging<br>about something, and Bri fawning over it. It was strange, to Gray, how much she reminded him of  
>Sherry, but at the same time, they were both so different. Maybe they were related, like Sherry's cousin,<br>Chelia.

Chai stayed quiet most of the way, probably because she was doing most of the work. Unlike most  
>people, these mages walked back to their guild hall, instead of simply taking the train like him and <em>Team<br>Natsu _always did. The train was faster, of course, and the only problem with taking the train was Natsu's  
>fast-acting motion sickness. Was it possible that one of these douches had motion sickness, too?<p>

After about half a day of walking, the dark mages reached the hall of _Sharp Rose._ It wasn't the biggest  
>guild hall; not nearly half as big as Fairy Tail's. But it seemed intimidating enough, with intricate metal<br>designs and a hell of barren rosebushes. Something typical for a dark guild.

The girls finally let go of Gray, and he let out an aggravated sigh. "You guys just made a huge mistake,"  
>he said, a bit more confidently. Even if he couldn't fight off this guild by himself, he knew that eventually<br>backup would come to save his butt. And if Sharp Rose really wanted to make an enemy out of Fairy Tail,  
>then they picked just the right guy to come and capture.<p>

Gray looked around at the people in the guild. They certainly didn't act like those of Fairy Tail; cold,  
>unfriendly, and serious enough to explode at someone who might have startled them. The guild master<br>sat at the head of them, a man with a long, black beard.

Chai pushed Gray towards their master, presenting the so-called murderer to him, making Gray bend to  
>his knees.<br>"This is the sinister rogue you mentioned, Sebano?" He looked up at Sebby, appearing to be  
>uninterested. "I had assumed he would be less… domicile."<p>

_Domicile!? Ha, he doesn't even know what he's talking about…_

Sebby shook his head. "There was some resistance, of course, but we handled it."  
>"Of course you did." The master sighed. "Will he be of use to us?"<p>

"Yes, Master, he will be. This ice wizard has annihilated some of the strongest mages in this country." Sebby assured.

_That's over-exaggerating, _Gray thought, _whoever could sugarcoat something like that isn't right in the  
>head.<em>

The next words spoken by the Guild Master, however, shot Gray in the heart like cold ice on a freezer  
>burn.<p>

"Good," he said, suddenly looking down at the symbol on Gray's chest.  
>"Now, I demand that you erase his guild's emblem and replace it with ours."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_Sorry this chapter is so short and fast-paced! It's another half-chapter, a filler chapter, with a small  
>piece of something important to the story. The next chapter most likely won't come for another week or<br>two, most likely, but just take this one for now. I have finally gotten around to Gray's part of the story,  
>and we'll get back to Natsu or Juvia soon enough, but their parts don't quite connect yet.<br>But yehhhh, cliffhanger! You know stuff gets real when they want you to… well… yeah…_

_I had to laugh at some of the phrases I used, like, "womanly palms"… no seriously, my word choice is  
>weird sometimes…<em>

_Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this so far at least somewhat and don't forget to review! I swear every  
>time I see the email pop up in my inbox like "review: from water to ice" I fricken just roll around my bed<br>and maniacally giggle._


	7. A Meeting with Misfortune

Gray's eyes flickered in disbelief.

_Erase my guild mark? _His thoughts swarmed._ I should have seen it coming. But I can't let that happen... I  
>can't let them do that, not now. I guess I could play along, but if they erase my guild mark…<em>  
>The ice mage stood up, backing up a couple of steps. He rests his hand over his heart, which was where<br>he'd chosen to stamp the symbol of Fairy Tail, many years ago.

The people around him were confused as to what Gray was trying to do. At first, it seemed he was  
>making an oath of some sort. Then, he stretched out his arms in a smooth fashion. "Ice Make: Ice<br>Cannon!" He shouts, a grin slipping onto his face.

_They didn't do anything to make sure I couldn't fight? Ha, these guys really are stupid, aren't they?_ Gray  
>thinks to himself, firing the ice cannon towards Sharp Rose's guildmaster.<p>

Sebby lunges forwards to seize Gray, who turns around in response. He frowns, merely cringing.  
>"Listen, you might have gotten me out of the town, but you ain't keeping me here!"<br>The forest-haired man laughed to himself. "I haven't even cast a spell yet," He giggles, "and you think  
>you can do something to stop us from getting our way?" Sebby's face held a nearly maniacal expression,<br>and he continues to attempt keeping Gray from moving, but fails.

Gray found he was at least somewhat physically stronger than Sebby, and reached for his arms, sending  
>ice up the sides of them.<br>Sebby panted, and stood back a couple of feet, finally making his stance.

"Now, behold!~" He sang, "As you can see, I harness the perfect opposite to your power! The one that  
>vanquishes all ice and time itself!"<br>Gray rolled his eyes.

Sebano's hands immediately become alit with perfect flames, smoothly flickering with a smoky haze.  
>Small root-like branches stemmed from underneath, sneakily making their way past his fingers.<p>

"Fire?" Gray retorted, "That's nothing special." He watched Sebby for a reply, but he only stayed silent,  
>concentrating on <em>something. <em>Still hearing no answer, Gray reached down to the ground – "Ice make:  
>Floor!" – Which carried out until the entire floor was covered in ice.<p>

A few Sharp Rose members who'd slipped decided to pitch into the fight to put that Fairy into a pinch.  
>He managed to fend them off, but paid little to no attention to Sebby, unaware that his fire-tree was<br>slowly snaking across the floor.

Gray didn't seem to be faltering, but in his mind he knew he wouldn't be able to keep this up forever.  
>Without that strange ring that seemed to give him an unlimited power, not everything would go his way,<br>but he couldn't just sit there and let them have theirs, either.

He didn't quite know exactly what it was they wanted, either_. Do they need me as an ally? Do they want  
>to hold me as bait?<em> He couldn't tell for sure.

After he'd at least been able to hold back most of the guild members that were there at the moment,  
>Gray lashed back at Sebby, 'fired up' to his max. For some reason, Sebano didn't budge. His eyes were<br>closed, and he held a relaxed position.

_What's he even doing? _Gray wondered, _And what's in his hands?_  
>Sebby's hands were still dripping with heat. They didn't appear to be much more than that, but the<br>branches were still growing, and they had yet to be seen. The magical branches themselves were  
>invisible, but once set aflame were as bright as day.<p>

It seemed confusing, but that's how Sebby's spell worked – A kind of lost magic that involves both the  
>use of earth and fire magic, which had been called <em>Kogetaki Magic, <em>but was barely used due to its'  
>complexity, time and effort required to successfully activate it.<p>

"If you're not going to fight me, then," The ice mage scoffed, "I guess I'll just leave." He began to set foot  
>out of the door, before the <em>Kogetaki<em> spell had been completed. At that moment, the branches caught  
>straight on fire, directing themselves to twist around Gray's foot. They quickly made their way up his<br>body, before he could even do anything.

The _Kogetaki _felt hot. Even hotter than Natsu's flames, if that was possible. They burned.  
>"What is this…?" Gray muttered. <em>Damn, these guys might be douches, but they're definitely fast.<em>

Sebby laughed loudly. Loudly enough for Gray to hear, very, very clearly. "HA! Ohh, you should see the  
>look on your face," Sebby continued to chuckle, "And here you thought you were actually getting<br>somewhere!~"

Gray sighed. _His monologues are annoying. _"Just… nghh… get me out of this damn thing!" The branches  
>continued to burn his skin, and they didn't seem to let up.<p>

"Fine, if you insist," Sebby's strange grin returned. "But that spell took me _so _long, so I think I'll give you  
>something else, instead!"<br>At the mention of this, Gray flinched. He didn't want to give up fighting, not yet. He tried to think of a  
>way to get out of it, but his mind completely failed. They were too fast for anything he tried to do. <em>I ain't<br>that weak. I'll win in the end, _he reassures himself, letting go. _But if anything, you deserve this._

The branches unwind and disappear, leaving Gray on the ground. Sebby takes him and drops him into a  
>prison, along with someone else who was already there. "This is your temporary home now,<br>Fullbuster~" He smiled eerily, "_Embrace it until we're ready for you_."

Sebby walks away, leaving them alone.

Gray shakes his head a little. He was confused, still, but he knew he'd probably find out what they  
>wanted sooner than later.<br>He turned to the other in his little cell. It was that reddish-pink haired chick he'd seen before, who'd  
>helped get Gray to this guild hall in this first place.<p>

She was curled up in the dark corner, quietly shivering, with her hands on her knees. If Gray hadn't been  
>just a few feet away from her, he wouldn't have seen the girl.<br>"Hey, you," he said, looking directly at her. "What're you doing in here? This is your guild, isn't it?"

Bri looked up, and shook her head. "No, I'm from a different guild…" She sighed, "Or at least, I was…  
><em>You're from a different guild, too, aren't you?"<em>

"Yeah," Gray confirmed, "I'm from Fairy Tail." He leaned back against the wall, looking away from her.  
>Bri's eyes widened. "R-really? That's the strongest guild in Fiore… I mean, wow, that's…" She stopped<br>herself from talking anymore, when she looked down into her hand.

"It's what?" He motioned his head back in the direction of Bri, when he noticed what she was looking at.  
>"Hey, it's that ring," Gray got a little closer to her, trying to get a better look at it. The ring itself was<br>nearly identical to the one that he'd found, except that the band was slightly smaller, and the gem was  
>broken.<p>

Gray picked it up out of her hand. "Does it work?"  
>"N-not anymore… actually…" Bri whispered, trailing off. She looked down, ashamed and in tears. She<br>didn't even hold back, and stifled a mezzo-forte rainstorm.

Taken aback by Bri's sudden emotional outburst, Gray stood for a second, not sure what to do. He  
>looked down at his hand and stood up, holding it out to her. "Crying isn't gonna do you any good," he<br>said to her with a soft voice. He wanted to sympathize with this girl. "So why don't you stand with me,  
>and be strong. You're going to get back to your guild, I promise you."<p>

Bri placed her hand into his, and nodded slowly, trying to wipe her tears with her hand. "Okay," she  
>squeaked, through her continuous sniffles.<p>

Gray walked over to the open side of the cell, tapping his fingers on his chin. _I bet these bars are magic-  
>resistant,<em> he thought, _but it's worth a shot…_ He stroked a metal bar with his hand, firmly grasping onto  
>it. An ice mage's touch is said to be cold and sharp, and Gray was definitely no exception. Even if they<br>were magic-resistant, they wouldn't be able to resist that, would they?

The bars began to freeze and crack, but upon breaking apart, they revealed a completely different kind  
>of metal.<p>

_Huh? _Gray narrowed his eyes at the strange material. It appeared to be somewhat crystal, light, and  
>upon touch, definitely hotter than the ordinary steel coating that had covered it before. They were<br>somewhat translucent, so Gray knew that if he could break these, then that would be all there was to it,  
>although he also knew that this wouldn't be the case for him to try.<p>

He turned his head to look at Bri, who'd been watching Gray attempt to break them out. She looked  
>away quickly, hoping he didn't notice, so he pretended not to, also looking back. "Hey, come here and<br>help me out," he ushered her, "You can still use your magic, can't you?"

Bri raised her hand to her chest, curling it up. _He's… asking me… to help him?_ "I can try," She mutters,  
>walking forward. Using her fingers, Bri begins writing white, glowing characters in midair. Once she was<br>done, the crystal bars began slowly disintegrating.

_I've seen that kind of magic before, _Gray thought to himself, watching the bars melting. The characters  
>stayed put in the air, and they read (in a different language), "<em>Anything surrounding this in a five-foot<br>radius will melt, except for clothing and living beings."_

Gray passed his hand through the empty spot where the bars had been, and then stepped through. He  
>turned around and reached out to Bri, helping her through the hole as well. "That was clever," He<br>laughed, "But the people who set this up weren't."

The pink-haired girl giggled and blushed slightly, covering up her mouth with her hand. "Yeah, I guess  
>so." She looked directly into Gray's navy eyes, without having to tilt her head. It was funny – He wasn't<br>taller nor was he shorter than her.

"I can't believe that actually-" She began, before Gray stopped her.  
>"Shh," He whispered, placing a finger over her lips. "Someone might be close by."<br>"Sorry," Bri whispered, in the same tone.

Gray looked around for an exit, but didn't see one directly. The room was this kind of long hallway, with  
>the twists and turns. It was like some sort of labyrinth. Gray and Bri went with their gut and made their<br>way down to the end of it.

Unfortunately, who was waiting there but Sharp Rose's strongest team of mages, led by Sebby, Chai,  
>and a few others who had been part of the guild.<p>

"It looks like they're ready to join us, Sebby," Chai beamed, her piercing red eyes meeting the man next  
>to her. In her hands help whips, and in his, stamps.<p>

Sebby grinned. "They are now, Princess!" He looks down at the two from where he stood, where the  
>floor was slightly elevated a bit more. Gray grits his teeth. This time, he wasn't going to fall to these<br>ignorant jerks.

Bri glared at Chai, who glared back at her. It seemed like there was something going on between the  
>two, like Erza had once been with Mirajane or Natsu with Gray. "How… dare you trick me like that…?!"<br>Bri nearly shouted.

"I didn't trick you, Bria-chan," Chai smirked, licking her lips. "You clearly fell for it, of course, you gave us  
>the rings!" She raised her whip, and slashed it in Bri's direction.<br>Bri backflips out of the way, casting her own spell. "Light Écriture: Faint!" She exclaims, drawing a small  
>circle in the air with her hand, sending out a series of beams.<p>

The beams barely miss Chai, scratching her cheek, but mostly damaging the wall behind them.

_So, that's the kind of magic she uses, _Gray noted. _Writing magic. _

While Chai was battling with Bri, Gray receives an unexpected kick in his back. Again, Sebby used his  
>agility to an advantage by placing Gray's hands under a magic bind, rendering him unable to cast spells.<br>He falls to the ground, but gets up using his lower body strength and his legs.

"How do you like that?" Sebby asks menacingly, his emerald bangs brushing to the side.

"What are you even trying to gain out of all this?" Gray looks up at Sebby, with a serious look on his  
>face. "So what if you're in a dark guild? You're making me… hurt my friends. And I'm not gonna let that<br>go."

Sebby's only response was an honest laugh. "What do you think we want? We want the rings. We want  
>the power. And people like you are just the kind of power we need to become number one in Fiore, isn't<br>that right, Gray_-sama_?" His cheerful but sharp voice etched into Gray's mind.

_No._

Chai had already defeated Bri, as well, and had also put her hands into a magic bind.  
>"Chai, dear, use your lovely whip and teach these beauties a lesson!~" Sebby looked over at the red-<br>eyed girl, winking. Chai nodded in delight, and lashed the whip left and right on the two already  
>depleted mages.<p>

It stung. It hurt, a lot, leaving bruises, and marks, and burns. There was no holding back with the crazy  
>woman.<p>

"What now, Gray-_sama?_" Sebby teased Gray, watching him as Chai continued to beat.

"Don't… call me that…" _No… don't remind me. _

"Are you tired of playing now, Gray-_sama?_" He continued to taunt.

Bri tried to look up at Gray. His skin was red, and his eyes were filled with tears.  
>She sobbed, too, and yelled out in agony. <em>It's all my fault, s<em>he thought, and eventually blacked out from  
>the shock and pain inflicted upon herself.<p>

"Gray-_sama? _Gray-_samaaaa? _Don't you want to have some fun_?"_

Gray knew that Sebby was only trying to get under his skin. But he couldn't help but feel them – The  
>words he spoke felt more painful than the whips could ever feel to him.<p>

There was only one person who'd _ever_ addressed him with that title.

Sebby brought forward the guild stamps, pressing the_ Sharp Rose_ mark over Gray's _Fairy Tail _symbol.  
>He then did the same over Bri's <em>Blue Pegasus<em> symbol, located on the side of her neck.

"Oh, Gray-_sama,_ that looks marvelous,~" His sickening grin loomed over them, as he admired their new  
>plaques.<p>

"Stop it! You don't got the right… to say that…" Gray mustered.

"And why not? Just because you don't have that water-bitch anymore, Gray-_sama?_ You're one of _us_  
>now, which means you submit to whatever I say." Sebby picked up his own whip, and began thrashing it<br>at him as well.

"Listen… I'm never gonna do… what you ask me to, and I… don't care how many times… you hurt me."  
><em>Don't say her name. Don't say it, <em>he prayed in his mind. Not like it would do any good.

Gray flinched. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't help anyone. It was hard taking this pain, but he had  
>to do it, to repay his friends.<p>

"You… you _killed_ Juvia… you… hurt my friends… destroyed my life. What makes you think I'd _ever_ side  
>with someone by the likes of you?"<p>

Chai finally retracted her whip, Sebano doing the same. He said nothing, but the devious looks on their faces said it all.

_This ain't over yet,_ Gray declared, _because as long as I'm breathing, as long as I'm alive, I will be loyal to  
>Fairy Tail. Just wait and see.<em>

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:<strong>__XD Hellooo again... yep, we have a *pretty* long chapter here, but I hope it wasn't bad. I was up till like,  
>3AM writing this... I guess you could say I got carried away... oops! Well, anyways, you can enjoy this, hopefully<br>T-T I'm open to feedback and criticism, it really helps a lot! And... WOW. OKAY. A LOT HAPPENS IN THIS CHAPTER.  
>Anyways, stay tuned for the next chapter! I'm so excited for this four-day weekend because of V-day and President's<br>day! So, hopefully, I will have enough time to continue. _


	8. In the Wrong Hands

_Meanwhile, in Magnolia…_

* * *

><p>"Somebody, come quick!" Romeo yelled, running into the Fairy Tail guild hall.<p>

The Strauss siblings had come back from their family vacation, and were enjoying their time back with  
>Erza, Lucy, and all the other guild members, sharing a few good drinks. Lucy had started feeling better,<br>but she still needed help walking sometimes, and often got a bit dizzy.

"What? What's going on?" Lisanna asked, sensing the feeling of rush and worry in the kid's voice.

Romeo pointed out the door. "It's Levy and Gajeel – They're fighting in the middle of town!" He said,  
>looking over at Macao, then back to the girls. Lucy looked around in confusion. <em>Why those two?<em> She  
>wondered, <em>out of anyone, Gajeel cares for Levy the most.<em>

She stood up, and Erza did too.  
>"Are they serious?" She said, motioning for Cana, Lisanna and Mirajane to stand up, too.<p>

"Yeah, serious as ever." Romeo nodded, "You guys have to go and see!"

Erza placed her hand on his shoulder. "We will. Thank you for telling us." She began walking out of  
>the guild, and the other girls went along with her.<p>

After they left, Romeo sat down at their table, which was now empty, and sighed. He was still waiting  
>for Wendy to come back. She'd left five weeks ago, without saying why, and hadn't returned. Nobody<br>asked about her, and nobody talked to her, but he still didn't understand what was taking her so long.  
>Same thing with Natsu – He'd seen Lucy and Erza and Gray around, but where was he?<p>

Macao watched his son sit idly, who was looking down at the table and thinking quietly to himself.

He was somewhat worried; he wanted Romeo to be happy. He couldn't do anything to make them come  
>back, for he knew that's what made him so down. So he only stayed quiet, not wanting to accidentally upset the kid.<p>

The girls met up in the center of Magnolia, where a large mob of civilians and mages gathered around to  
>watch the two Fairy Tail wizards battle each other.<p>

Lucy pushed her way through the crowd, expecting to see some sort of unfair example, and was surprised  
>to see that Levy actually had the upper hand. Her eyes lit with fury, she wrote out her solid script words<br>and attacked Gajeel, who merely blocked with his iron fist.

"I don't know what's gotten into you," He said with a grudge, "But I sure as hell don't like it. Roar of the  
>Iron Dragon!" He shouted, funneling a whirlwind of iron towards the girl. She barely flinched.<p>

Jet, Droy, and Pantherlily were only watching them, both anxious to see who would be victorious.  
>"Why are you just standing there?!" Lucy exclaimed to them, "Someone's going to get hurt!"<p>

Jet sighed. "We tried to stop them, but Levy just threatened to attack us, too!" He shot a sharp glare at  
>Lucy, and they both started watching the Script mage again.<p>

The way she moved, the way she attacked, and the look on her face was different than when she normally  
>fought. "Levy!" The celestial spirit mage called out, "What are you doing?!"<p>

Levy turned her head and spotted Lucy. She grinned, continuing to attack the Iron Dragonslayer. "Lu-chan,  
>I'm glad you could join me!" She exclaimed cheerfully, and then added, "What does it look like I'm doing?"<p>

Lucy watched them and couldn't help but be confused. _Gajeel's normally stronger than her, so what's this  
>all about? I mean, he protects her, and in return, she proves to be the most intelligent person I can think<br>of. Levy blushes whenever he talks to her, and I can see it in her eyes that his intimidation feels comforting. _

"That musclebrain of yours better be ready to kiss tomorrow," Levy says, her voice strangely intimidating.  
>Gajeel doesn't falter, but he carried an angry affect. He pits her with an Iron Dragon fist, which she grabs<br>onto and uses as a tool to get closer to the man, before executing an uppercut to him.

"I hate to have to punch a girl," He narrows his eyes, "But you give me no choice, Shrimp." Gajeel's arm  
>also jabs back at her, and what had started of a competition of magical ability, now depended upon<br>physical strength and speed.

The solid script mage smirks. It was still a fair battle. Her thin, flexible arms still held enough power  
>to knock him out if she wanted to. And she <em>did<em> want to, at least, outside of her conscience. On the  
>inside, though, she knew she was making a mistake.<p>

Erza made her way through the crowd as well, getting to at least a point where she could see  
>them clearly. She spotted Levy, and feared for the worst.<p>

_Idiot, _she thought to herself, _why did she put on the ring?_ Erza sighed, watching them continue.  
>Based on her fight with Gray and the events that he'd presented before them, she knew how<br>strong the effects of the enchanted artifact could get.

Someone _had_ to interfere.  
>Erza nudged Lucy, whispering something in her ear.<br>Lucy looked at her, wide-eyed. "_What_? I… I can't do that!"  
>"Trust me, it's for the best."<p>

Lucy looked over at the fight, with a worried expression. "Well, okay, I can try. Gate of the  
>Maiden, Virgo!" She called out, holding out the heart-tipped golden key.<p>

The familiar pink-haired celestial spirit appeared before her, in her ordinary state of being.  
>"Is it punishment time, Princess?" She asked, hopefully.<p>

"Ch… No, of course not," Lucy sighed in slight revolt. Virgo would never change, and she  
>was glad for that. But her hobbies were… Well, <em>somewhat questionable<em>. "Virgo, I need you  
>to make a trap." She ordered, quietly enough that the people surrounding her wouldn't notice.<p>

Virgo nodded, and drilled a hole directly under herself. She travelled through the dirt and  
>closer to where the fight had engaged, making two larger holes separate for the mages. They<br>were four feet in diameter, and at least ten feet in depth.

The solid script mage had been startled to find herself stumbling into the little pit. She  
>looked up the sides of it, confused, as her eyes dilated slightly. "Hey!" Levy shouted, "How do you expect me to get out from here?"<p>

From the other hole, Gajeel rolled his eyes at her comment. He, too, had been startled, but  
>he wasn't gonna say anything dumb. Virgo bowed, and closed her gate, returning to the<br>celestial spirit world as she had seen fit.

Lucy trembled slightly, giving out a sigh of relief. She tucked the golden key back into her  
>leather pouch, and looked out to where the holes were. People were now crowding around<br>them, and unfortunately, that was_ almost _the second-to-last thing she wanted to happen.

"Erza-san, let's go over to them and see what's going on." She looked up at the redhead,  
>who offered support towards Lucy's walking. They rushed over to the pits, Erza looked<br>down at Gajeel, and Lucy to Levy.

"Levy-san!" Lucy exclaimed, pointing a finger at her friend. "You better tell me; what's the  
>meaning of all of this? What are you doing?"<p>

Levy glanced down at her hand, twisting the ring that she'd slipped onto her middle finger  
>back and forth. It reflected the sunlight that was poking in through the clouds, giving off a<br>sharp glimmer. "I'm getting my revenge," She said, with a serious tone. She looked up at  
>Lucy, and didn't even crack a smile.<p>

_Revenge? _"Wait, wh…what do you mean? I thought you'd forgiven him, a long time ago!"  
>"Lu-chan, I haven't forgiven <em>anybody<em>," Levy chuckled. It was clear she wasn't herself, but  
>Lucy didn't quite understand why.<p>

Erza peeked down into Gajeel's hole. "Are you alright?" She asked, concerned for her comrade.  
>"Course I'm alright," He scoffed, "I can handle myself."<p>

"Good. I am glad that you're not hurt. However…" Erza looked down, burying half of her face in  
>one of her palms. She felt like she'd get emotional again – People weren't ready to know what<br>she'd heard, for she wasn't yet ready to believe it.

But Erza knew she had to tell people eventually, and when she does, a proper mourn would be held.

"Well, then, I guess there's no point in having you down there," She says, reaching out a hand.  
>The Iron Dragonslayer meets it with an iron club, hoisting himself up.<p>

Tension between the mages grew, and the people gathered around eventually became uninterested, returning to  
>their basic lives.<p>

Lucy felt somewhat angry at Levy, but she held back whatever she felt, remembering what Erza had told her before.  
><em>Is this what she meant? <em>Lucy wondered. _If this artifact is in Levy's possession, then that means her actions are being  
>swayed negatively. I have to get that ring away from her. <em>

"Levy-chan! You have to give me that ring!" She demanded, the intensity in her eyes increasing.  
>"No way," Levy held her hand close to her chest, "This thing has made me more powerful than I'd ever<br>get. Hell, it makes me more powerful than you'll ever get!" She backed up a couple steps, before casting  
>another spell. "Solid Script: Ladder!" A stretched out L-A-D-D-E-R took the form of steps which she could<br>use to exit the hole that Virgo had so effortlessly created.

_I didn't even know she had a spell like that,_ Lucy thought. "Levy, you have to listen to me… give me the ring!"

Levy sighed, clutching her fist tightly. "You know, if you keep trying to stop me, I'm going to have to hurt you, Lu-chan."

"Wha… I'm not going to fight you!" Lucy shouted. She didn't want this to turn into a bigger problem than it  
>was. Her eyes flickered with fear and worry. All she needed to do was get the ring, and everything would be fine again, right?<p>

"Damn right you are. Solid Script, heat!" A transparent wave of HEAT emerged from the formation of her  
>hands, flaming towards Lucy. Before Lucy could react, Erza jumped in front of her with her Flame Empress<br>armor. Turning around, Erza glared silently at Lucy. "You should go. Let me handle this," She said breathily.

Lucy nodded and left, along with Gajeel and some of the others who had come out.

Erza eyed Levy, who still carried a heavy stance. She knew she could beat the girl, if she tried. Still, she  
>wasn't quite sure how she was going to solve this, for what she'd done with Gray wouldn't work.<p>

"Lucy," She whispered to the girl behind her, "Go back to the guild with Gajeel and the others."

"Okay, I will… but will you promise me one thing?"

"Sure, what is it?" Erza wondered what Lucy could want.

"Please don't hurt her, whatever you do... I know… Levy-chan isn't herself, but… she's still my friend,"  
>The blondie begged, her eyes filled with sincerity.<p>

Erza nodded. "Understood."  
>She watched them for a second to make sure all was well, then turned back to the solid script mage,<br>who had been waiting. If she went too easy, then Levy would get away. If she went too hard, Lucy  
>would get upset. After all, this body was much more fragile than one like Gray's.<p>

Levy, noticing Erza's stance, lowered hers and turned around. "I don't have any business with  
>you, Titania." She began walking away.<p>

It was very tempting for Erza to take her right then and there. It would have been the right way  
>to get the ring back, and Levy would go back to normal.<br>Instead, she decided to follow the girl instead. She waited for the bluenette to be far away enough  
>that she wouldn't notice Erza behind her, then made her move, slowly and sneakily.<p>

_I want to see what happens when they're alone. What will she do? And where is she going? Levy  
>seems like a totally different person. Maybe there's an actual person behind this. Then again, she<br>did act… somewhat herself…_

She followed her through the city, hiding around buildings, and coming back out when Levy wasn't  
>looking. Eventually, they made it to the edge of Magnolia, where the town connected with Hargeon.<br>Why someone would randomly walk to Hargeon, instead of taking a short train, was beyond thought,  
>but if she wanted to simply take the hour-long walk across the city, then there was nobody to stop her.<p>

As they neared the port, Erza began to have a feeling where Levy was going – to look over the ocean.  
>Erza had just visited a couple of days ago as well, to watch the sun setting on the horizon. If any place<br>one might want to do that, Hargeon would be it.  
>There were no mountains or buildings obscuring it, just crystal, infinite water.<p>

Levy sat down next to some rocks on the beach. She took off her sandals, dipping her feet in the cold,  
>blue, shallow water, which barely glittered within the sun's last rays of the day. Her toes and heels dug<br>into the dark sand, grains of shells and pebbles mixing together in a grey-brown array. She looked up at  
>the horizon, with a sorrowful expression.<p>

Erza couldn't quite tell what the girl was thinking, at that point, but took note of the subtle things.  
>Slight gestures that she'd made, little affects, posture, and expression.<p>

Yes, it was clear that Levy no doubt regretted the things she'd done and said. But the moment she  
>looked up and spotted Erza, the angry glaze that held in her eyes returned.<p>

"What are _you_ doing here?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_Heyy! So, sorry for the late update. I had this mostly done a couple of weeks ago, but my laptop just  
>HAD to break right before I finished it. Great. So, I sent it in to get it fixed, and now it's back, and I'll be able<br>to post. By now, chapter 9 is nearly done as well. I hope this chapter will do, anyway, next chapter will be  
>back to Gray and Bri! And yeah, someone else is there, too. Who will it be?<em>

_Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Please give feedback! ^-^ Thanks!_


	9. Return

Gray sat up. His head was spinning, and his head hurt. Looking over to his right, he saw Bri, the girl who he'd met up with earlier.  
><em>Those damn bastards, <em>he thought to himself, _this week has been nothing but trash. _

For once, he felt cold. Or chilly, more like, but not warm. The stone engraved floor was rough yet smooth, and the light streaming  
>in from the tall windows barely passed his face.<p>

He could hear voices, coming from down the halls.

"_And I told you – no, you shouldn't have –" _Gray tried to make out what they were saying, but the echoes and muffling of the tall,  
>stone walls made it difficult. The voice sounded somewhat familiar, and quite sophisticated.<p>

"_It wasn't my – I know he's here – come on, just this –"_  
>The other voice was more childish, but still familiar.<p>

Gray could hear footsteps quickly approaching, _pit-pat, pit-pat.  
>Jeez, not again. <em>He closed his eyes, slightly shaking, hoping it was not who he thought it was. They were coming back, and they  
>were going to beat him up again, hoping it'll force him to submission. The people who led this guild would be furious, and Gray<br>was in no position to fight back.

They were approaching a little bit faster, and the footsteps stopped, coasting a little bit from the bursts of acceleration.

"_Gray-san!"_ The childish voice squeaked, worriedly.

Gray opened his eyes again, relieved. It was not who he thought it was, thank goodness.  
>A young, blueberry-haired girl stood near him, with her hovering white Exceed. "Oh my gosh! I was so worried! W-why are you here?" She asked.<br>He hesitated to reply. He hadn't seen Wendy for a couple of months.

"You, worrying about me?" Gray scoffed, letting some of his cockiness reassure his friend he was well, before sighing again  
>in his defeat. "Actually, I…"<p>

"You have to get out of here," She ushered, worry in her voice.

"How did _you _even get in here?"

"Well, I was searching for this place with Carla. We came across it, and they didn't even notice me," Wendy shrugged, "Anyways,  
>don't worry about me… what happened to you?" Her eyes darted towards Gray's chest, where his emblem had been replaced.<p>

"Hell."  
>Gray was shaking. "I don't want to fight them again. I can't. They're too fast and I'm just so… weak. And man, I hate feeling<br>weak." He covered his face in his hands to hide his emotions.

Wendy looked at him, surprised, but then leaned in to give a friendly hug. She noticed the marks on his back. "I'll heal you,"  
>she said. Carla shot her a strange look, as if to say, <em>you really shouldn't<em>, but Wendy only returned the look to proceed anyway.

While Wendy was healing Gray, Bri woke up. At first, she was confused. _Who's that girl over there? Is she from Sharp Rose  
>too? No, she can't be…<em> Bri narrowed her eyes at the little girl. She looked like she was helping Gray. _It's probably one of his  
>comrades.<em>

"Uh- Wendy, I should probably tell you something…" Gray whispered, looking down.  
>Wendy looked down, too. "I, um, actually… I already know." She glanced up at Carla, who flew to the other side of Gray. <em>She does?<em>

"I can foresee some things ahead of time, remember?" Carla said.

Gray nodded. "Yeah, that's right." He added slowly.  
>He wondered how much that cat could really see, and how far ahead of time she could see it. <em>Is that why they've been gone<br>for so long? _He asked in his head.

"Anyway, you're not going to stay here, right?" Wendy cocked her head to the side.  
>"Do I have a choice?"<p>

"What do you mean?"

"These guys are too fast... I can't beat them."

The girl sighed, pulling back some of the hair which had fallen in front of her face. She didn't like seeing her friend like this.  
>"Don't say that, Gray-san. It's not even a top guild."<br>"You didn't even try," Carla remarked.

Gray knew they were right, but he still had his doubts. They had rings that could _kill_ people. He looked over at Bri, and  
>noticed she had gotten up. She looked no less miserable, and of course she wanted to be healed, too.<p>

"Is… is that your friend?" The rose-haired girl asked. She was surprised to see a _flying_ cat come out from next to the girl,  
>for she'd never seen an Exceed.<p>

Wendy smiled at Bri, holding out a hand. "M-hm, my name's Wendy; what's yours?"  
>Both Wendy and Gray looked at the girl for her answer. Gray thought he'd heard her name by one of those other guys,<br>but he wasn't absolutely sure.

"Just call me… Bri," She took Wendy's hand. It felt so warm. She could see that this little girl also carried the Fairy Tail  
>symbol. "I'm from the Blue Pegasus guild, but…"<br>Bri pulled back some of her hair to show the Sharp Rose mark on her neck. "We really had no choice."

Looking between Gray and Bri, Wendy could tell that they'd been forced to submission. They were both strong wizards,  
>and their opponents must have held purely evil power to be able to overcome them.<br>Gray turned to Bri. "Would you mind explaining what was going on between you and that blonde girl?"

"Right… well… it's a bit of a long story, a-actually…" She stammered.  
>"As long as nobody's coming, you can take your time." Carla reminded her, crossing her furry white paws.<p>

"Chai was a friend of mine… we were like family, really. She was from my guild, too. And… well… we met this guy. He  
>seemed nice, at first. And we got kinda close to him and… I was working on a project and I…" Bri felt like she was beginning<br>to choke on her own words. "…Chai tricked me into giving her the rings. I had to put one on, and they put them on too. And  
>let's just say that they did some… pretty bad things… They joined a dark guild. Luckily I was able to dispel mine by smashing<br>it, but I had to… um, scatter the other ones."  
>The last sentence almost sounded somewhat of a whisper. Gray and Wendy seemed a little confused, but they nodded anyways.<p>

"Sounds like they're planning something," Gray said, like he was thinking about it.  
>"Like what?" Wendy looked at him curiously.<br>"I don't know. I think they just want power."

Bri sighed, stretching out her arms a little bit. "There has to be more to it than that," she commented, "Like some sort of deeper motive."

"Well, I know that with all our friends together, we can defeat even these guys," Wendy chimed, tapping her finger to her cheek.  
>"It might take a little bit of work, but I know we can do it."<p>

"So, what do we do now?" Gray asked.

Wendy smirked. "Just leave it to me," she said, looking up at her exceed friend. "If Carla and I can fly out of here, I can  
>get back to the rest of the guild. You don't mind staying here, do you?"<p>

They both cringed slightly, but then nodded with less hesitance. "I think we can handle that," Bri glanced over at Gray, "Just act along, right?"

"Right." He agreed.

"Good, then that's settled. Wendy, let's go!" Carla picked up Wendy by the back of her, spreading out her wings again.  
>"We'll come back for you!" The Sky Dragonslayer exclaimed.<p>

On the train way back to Magnolia, Wendy looked out the window, watching the scenery pass by.  
>She had a thoughtful look upon her face, as her eyes darted when things came in and out of view.<p>

"Wendy, you look worried," Carla muttered to her, "Are you sure this is what you need to do?"  
>"Absolutely sure. This is the only way I can make Natsu-san and Juvia-san come back."<p>

Carla sighed. She knew exactly what Wendy wanted to do, and what she hadn't told Gray and Bri. She didn't think  
>that Wendy was ever very good at planning things, but decided to let her take this one in case it played out correctly.<p>

She always saw flaws – even little, miniscule flaws, in everything that everyone did.

"About that 'Bri' girl; I wouldn't be sure about her. I think she's not telling the whole truth."

"Maybe," Wendy whispered. She narrowed her eyes, still not looking away from the window. _You just got to wait for  
>things to be figured out, right then, and right there, but not yet.<em> _And when you do, the answers to everything you've  
>questioned so far will be right in front of you, won't they?<em>

She closed her eyes, letting the warm light from the window soak in as she napped for the rest of the train ride.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_Sugoiii! Another chapter! I know it's a bit short, but this means that I've finally hit 20,000 words! Yay, that's a lot of words. Wow. Okay, for some people, not a lot. But for me, it's quite the achievement. _

_Anyways, this chapter has a lot of dialogue in it. I hope you all don't mind. I wanted to try and see how much dialogue I could actually write, as most of the previous conversations have been pretty short. _

_Wendy has something on her mind, aye? I'm not 100% sure what her plan is exactly myself, but I guess I will find out when my fingers work their magic on this little glowing black keyboard! Hope you enjoyed this and please give feedback! I want to hear what you think!_

_By the way, I also drew what I would imagine Bri to look like. You can find the link to her image in my profile. Hopefully, it would give you a good idea ^-^  
>I also drew Sebby, Chai, and Bri all together in one picture as well, but I don't think it was as good, and ChaiSebby's looks don't quite fit them in this Fanfic. So you will have to be content with just Bri, I guess._

_I actually finished this chapter a while ago, but I had to wait for my laptop to get back before I could post it (Also, some response after chapter 8) but I'll start working on chapter 10 asap! Yeah okay such a long author's note XD bye_


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